ARIANNA
by Chin06
Summary: A peasant girl's journey in discovering the secrets of her past and her destiny... Could she really be more than a simple peasant? Could she be the heiress to the throne of the magical world of Grethania?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"**_The Scarlet Haired Peasant Girl"_**

The first rays of dawn shone upon a small wooden barn in the outskirts of a small town called Vasdenin.

Inside were a few fat chickens roosting on small nests in the corner, a plump rosy pig lay idly in his sty snorting once in a while, two chestnut horses were looking out of the window watching the sunrise and a large white cow with black spots was munching on some hay. A few nests were hidden among the planks of the barn walls where a few warbles and robins were feeding their hungry young ones. The old red rooster flew towards a windowsill and crowed aloud, reminding everyone to arise and start the day. The hens clucked approvingly and the pig stirred in his muddy pen while the horses started to dine on the same hay alongside the cow.

Beside the cow were a few large haystacks, and upon one of them laid a young scarlet haired girl of fifteen who was fast asleep. A long bow and a quiver filled with green-feathered arrows lay alongside the haystack and the girl was clothed in a boy's hunting garments.

Suddenly, a glint of white flew down from the outside and there atop the pigs wooden pen alighted a bright silver falcon with piercing amber eyes. He took one sharp glance at the slumbering lass before taking off again. The other animals took no notice of this strange visitor and continued to do what they were doing.

The rooster, proud of his morning accomplishment, stood pompously on the sill and belted out another loud crow. The girl stirred slightly causing her brownish green leather cap to fall off revealing her stunning scarlet hair and after a few moments her eyes started to open. Blinking rapidly, she found herself looking into the bright sunlight; the girl then sat up, yawned and stretched her arms out. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she reached out for her daily cup of tea that was always by on her side table when to her utmost surprise she felt instead the cold muzzle of a cow. Her soft brown eyes widened as the massive cow uttered a loud moo causing her to fall back on the hay in shock.

"Oh gods! Where am I?" she exclaimed.

Then, for the first time, she looked around her and found herself in her grandfather's barn house. She started to wonder how she had gotten there and had a vague memory of something when suddenly the barn gate had opened and a bent old man came rushing in, he supported himself on a long wooden staff while he hurried inside the barn. He had a wrinkled old face, aged but full of wisdom, his knees were knobby and bent as well as his back. His dull gray eyes were worried and troubled as his gaze darted back and forth, searching around the barn.

Then, as if suddenly knowing where he was going to, he went around a large haystack and found the young lass trying to hide inside the haystack she had spent the night on.

"Arianna!" he shouted sternly pulling her out of the hay and gripping her arm strongly, "Where have you been? What foolishness have you done this time? By the gods, if you weren't my only granddaughter, I would have you whipped twenty times! Now, what in the Kannaham's name have you been doing here all night?"

His eyes caught the bow and quiver on the floor and he knew he didn't have to ask but he wanted to hear it from Arianna's own lips.

For an aging man, Baltook had a strong solid voice and his strength was not a thing to be taken lightly either. Though his years as a farmer and a warrior teacher had not been too kind to him, it hadn't softened him in any way.

Arianna looked frightfully into her grandfather's blazing gray eyes and couldn't seem to find a way to answer.

"Speak!" her grandfather commanded.

Arianna stammered, "I-I was planning t-to go with Hollin to the F-first Hunt with the other boys and…"

"Did you go into the forest?" Baltook inquired forcefully.

Shaking her head, Arianna winced as her grandfather's grip tightened, "No, sir, I didn't. I just wanted to see what the First Hunt would be like but…

Baltook let out an impatient sigh, releasing her arm; he turned his back on her, "Arianna! How many times must I repeat myself?" Then turning his gaze back to the girl he continued, "The First Hunt is an event specifically for the young boys and the young boys only! You can NEVER be a part of it no matter how hard you try or how skilled you are. You can NEVER be a hunter! Why must you always be so stubborn and disobedient? Do you want to go up there and shame yourself by being the only girl at that initiation? Have you no sense, child? You're almost a woman, Arianna! You need to grow up and learn how to conduct yourself like a woman not an immature imp! If your father and mother were here today, they would be utterly disappointed in you for being such. "

The scarlet haired girl nodded, her eyes downcast and her head was bowed in shame while she gingerly rubbed her arm where her grandfather had gripped so tightly. A small teardrop rolled down her cheek as she sniffed softly. The old man's eyes softened at this sight. Though she was showing signs of being almost a grown woman, in many ways she still was just a girl, a careless lively naïve girl who still didn't know a thing about life. Shaking his head, Baltook let out an exasperated sigh.

"Go up to the house and change your clothing. There are a lot of chores to be finished today so get to it." He said calmly. Arianna nodded as she grabbed her bow and quiver and quickly ran out of the barn wiping her eyes on her way.

"_Be easy on her Agmon, she's just a girl…" _The cow glanced thoughtfully at the old man.

Agmon sighed, "_I know, Bernita. But it isn't that easy anymore. She's almost a woman but her head is full of childish fantasies. Maybe I raised her wrong…"_

One of the horses, the darker shaded stallion, snorted and pawed the ground, " _That isn't true at all, you raised her the best way you could and she's a wonderful girl. You're just being too protective Agmon."_

"_No, he isn't!"_ the rooster clucked and fluttered his wings, "_Agmon did the right thing by reprimanding that silly girl. What with all her running about in boys' hunting clothes twanging her silly arrow at anything that she finds interesting, you might think she really IS a boy!"_

"_Oh hush up Fredol! You're only saying that because one of Arianna's arrows almost caught you by the neck the other day." _Bernita countered while chewing some more hay.

The rooster clucked off haughtily towards the other side of the barn.

"_She reminds me of her father when he was a little boy. He too was a reckless lad, wasn't he?" _the pig got up and started sniffing around his pen.

"_Yes, but I wish she could have be more like her mother was, obedient and silent. Are you certain she didn't go into the forest?"_ Agmon replied with concern.

"_Yes," _the stallion replied, "_She wandered into the barn late last night. If she had gone out I would have roused the others and we would go after her. But it appeared she was waiting for someone. Later on, a boy came to the barn, we feared something suspicious was at hand so we cast a sleeping charm on her."_

"_We sort of put a tiny memory charm on her and the boy too. But now that she's awake, it might wear off completely in a little while. We didn't want her or the boy remembering precisely what they were about to do last night."_ The lighter chestnut mare added lightly.

"_She had that look of solid determination and excitement when she entered knowing she was doing something unlawful,"_ the pig snorted,_ " As you said Agmon, so unlike her mother."_

The cow mooed, "But _now that I think about it, her looks are more and more like her mother's everyday."_

"_But she has Dither's eyes." _the lighter colored horse nickered.

There was a short silence in the intellectual conversation the animals and the old man were engaging in. The subject of Arianna's parents had made them recall what their true purpose was in this little town of Vasdenin. They all had a strong intuition that the time of safety was drawing to an end and they would have to be ready when that day comes. Word has reached them that the lands on the southern border had already been seized by the Sorceress and in a matter of time, her servants would be heading towards Vasdenin. They had spent fifteen years in secrecy, protecting and hiding the heiress to the Grethanian throne but their time was shortly running out and the Sorceress would soon see through their covers and come for their princess.

"_Paladin was here." _Bernita said.

Agmon nodded, "_I asked him to check the barn if Arianna was there after our conversation. In fact, it was he who informed me Arianna was here._ _Paladin has brought good news. It seems the enemy has turned their search eastward rather than north towards Kilver as we anticipated due to that little charm I cast. So, we still have a little more time. If things take a turn for the worse, I'm taking Arianna and we shall flee towards the Jade Green islands farther north. I have told Paladin my plan and he has agreed to accompany us on our journey. I will probably tell Arianna everything before our flight."_

"_Can't you tell her now? She does seem old enough to know." _The cow asked.

"_In due time, she will know but not at the moment."_ Agmon answered before changing the subject, _"Bernita, remind me not to take Arianna on any more of my training sessions with the boys. I fear I have subconsciously influenced her into doing something utterly foolish and rash. I will ask one of the elder women next door to look after her and try to teach her some proper conducts for girls Arianna's age." _

The cow looked annoyed,_ "Couldn't I be the one to educate her? I could take on my human form, the gods know how I miss it, and lesson her just as I lessoned her mother many years ago. I could take on another identity and—"_

The old man shook his head,_ "No, sooner or later questions will arise. Questions that are not supposed to be answered just yet… This goes for all of you. Fifteen years is a long time to be kept in your Animasi form but you will be free from it soon. By the time, Arianna and I depart; you all will be relieved from your protection duties. "_

"_Can't we come with you?" _the horses asked simultaneously.

"_Not this time Helli and Fressica. Since I believe this is a good time as well as any other to thank you all for your assistance and pains in the protection of the Princess of Grethania. In the name of our late King Dither, I extend to you the blessing and gratitude of the Animasinian gods and the people of Grethania. You have all aided us in giving back to Grethania what is rightfully Grethania's. You will all be graciously rewarded when Princess Lithiarianna takes back what is rightfully hers and sits on her throne in Silveran." _Agmon declared gloriously

"_The only reward I want is to see Grethania as it was before. Once Grethania's beauty is restored and prosperity returns to the lands, I would be able to leave for Kannaham in peace. May the Princess Lithiarianna send the Sorceress to the abyss!" _Helli neighed.

"_Long live the Princess of Grethania! Lady of Silveran! Fair blossom of Lisien!" _the animals cried.

Agmon bowed low, "_My gratitude to you all my friends."_

Arianna rushed into her grandfather's small cottage and climbed up the ladder that led her to her room. She emerged into a small-enclosed space, which had only a few tiny windows; it was small, simple and hardly had any furniture. In the middle of the room lay a bed made of straw and cotton, it was covered by a colorful quilt that a mysterious lady once gave her a long time ago, though now it seemed a little worn out since the edges were coming apart and there were more patches of duller colors than the brighter ones, it was the only cheery looking thing in the plain looking room. There was a large wooden chest by the side of the wall where Arianna kept her personal belonging. Beside the bed, there was a small wooden stool that her grandfather made as her side table. Ever since Arianna was a little girl, she had these strange nightmares about dark witches and fiery animals that she couldn't bear to close her eyes again, so her grandfather always laid a bowl of special tea beside her to make her fall back to sleep. In the morning, she would forget all about it. The nightmares now happened so often that her grandfather decided to leave the tea by her side every night and though Arianna didn't always have these strange dreams, drinking her special tea every morning always gave her that warm comforting feeling that made her feel so refreshed.

As Arianna climbed into her room, she roughly brushed the tears out of her eyes and rebuked herself for acting so weak especially in front of her grandfather. It pained her when she remembered the brutality of her grandfather's words. It was true that she had been behaving too immaturely for her age but she couldn't help herself.

_What was so wrong about a girl joining a hunt? Why should women always be limited to just household chores? Shouldn't there be more to a woman's life than cooking, cleaning and having children? There are many women who have other skills than just mere livelihood tasks but why are they so afraid of letting other people know about it. Why? What was so wrong of showing people the other special skills we possess? Why should I be afraid?_ Arianna's thoughts spun wildly in her head as she looked at her bow and quiver.

No, she couldn't use them in public but she could still hunt. Her heart swelled in her when she began picturing her very first kill a year ago. Even though she knew she couldn't bring it home and proudly display it to one and all in the town square like the other boys but at least she would be comforted by the thought of having the ability to kill something.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Arianna looked closely at her weapons, she looked at her name, which was engraved in a small part of the bow. She smiled when she remembered the day her grandfather allowed her to have her own bow when she begged him assiduously for it and when he gave her private archery lessons after that. Her smile widened when she reminisced the first time she perfectly took down a target where her arrow shot at the wooden deer dummy straight into its heart. But it slowly vanished when she knew that her grandfather wouldn't want her to use it anymore. He had ceased teaching her two summers ago saying that she could never become a true archer or hunter in Vasdenin but that didn't prevent her from training in secret. She knew that he knew about it and how great her skill had now become but he never mentioned it until today.

Arianna opened her chest and hid the bow and arrow at the bottom of her chest underneath her clothes and other things. She then took out a long coarse working dress made of rough material. It was stained and patched in many areas and used to be her chemise before it got so worn out that she decided to use when doing dirty work in the fields or at home. After donning it, she then took out a brown apron, which she had made herself to cover the dark ugly stains on the dress and tied it around her stained gown tightly. Arianna then thought how nice it would have been if she had a few more clothes but though she knew how to mend and sew, her grandfather couldn't afford to give her new threads to work with and so she had used the hand-me-down clothes given to her by her neighbor's daughters. Arianna frowned when she recalled how some girls had brought her a package of nice clothes two winters ago; she was grateful and was about to take it, when she saw the look of terrible pity in their eyes. That was the last time Arianna accepted any more clothes from other girls. How could they understand that pity or sympathy was not what she needed, how could anyone understand what she really needed? Arianna looked into her chest and saw the few garments she had, it would be nice to have just a few more, even if she knew it would only last till the next winter.

Life has been so hard on us lately, Arianna thought painfully, she then started recalling the day when she realized that being the poor old farmer's granddaughter was not as simple as most people would think. Once, when she was a little lass of seven, they had been on a little journey to the south when her grandfather had been attacked by a huge black bear while he was gathering firewood. She, alone, had brought him all the way back to Vasdenin though it was an almost impossible task since her grandfather insisted they be covered in a strange black blanket on the way. When they had reached their home, Arianna had to do all she could to help her grandfather survive as well as keep food on their table She had to sell most of their things and a few of their hens to have a little money. It was a difficult time for both of them, but Arianna and Baltook learned a lot from that hard experience. She learned that she would have to start knowing how to manage on her own for she also knew that her grandfather wouldn't be alive for so very long and he knew that the forests were not as safe as he hoped it would be therefore he banned Arianna from ever stepping into the forest boundary ever again. Miraculously, her grandfather had survived his brutal attack and he recovered completely though he now had to use a walking stick to support himself most of the time.

The painful grip her grandfather had on her arm still stung and fresh tears welled up in her eyes when she recalled what he had said about her parents. Well, what could she know about her parents? All she knew was that they had died a long time ago from a terrible disease and she had been sent to live with her grandfather just a few weeks after she was born. What could have happened to them? Why did they have to die? Why did she have to lose them so fast?

As Arianna was changing into her work clothes, the aching loss for her parents burned within her as well as the red mark on her arm.

A mark?

There on her arm gleamed a bright red star where her grandfather had tightly gripped and it was burning with intense pain. In her mind, Arianna saw the figures of her nightmares and she heard their terrible sounds and flashing colors swirled. Closing her eyes and fighting the pain, Arianna cried as she pressed a rag unto her arm, then suddenly the pain disappeared as quickly as it came. When the girl had lifted the rag, there was no mark whatsoever on her arm.

Was it my imagination?

She knew it couldn't be. It couldn't be…

After she finished her routine toilette she tried to forget about the strange mark, taking one last look at her hunting clothes before stashing them deep inside her chest beside her weapons. Her friend, Hollin the baker's son, had given it to her when he had grown out of it the year before and was about to cast it away when she asked for it. It was made of brownish green material similar to the dress she was wearing but tougher and lighter at the same time. Hollin was a year or two younger than Arianna but he was taller and a lot stronger than she was though he never was much of a skilled warrior or hunter.

Arianna brushed the strange event that happened aside and started thinking of Hollin, there was something about him that was nagging her at the back of her mind, and she knotted her brows and closed her eyes, trying to remember what she had obviously forgotten about Hollin. Then, all of a sudden, something snapped. _The First Hunt!_

Screaming angrily after those three words popped up in her mind, she then scrambled down the ladder and ran out of the house, searching the streets for her friend.

Hollin, the son of Vasdenin's famous baker Hollanden, was munching a bright, freshly picked red apple while he strolled leisurely past the old farmer's barn. He was in such a fine mood after killing his first deer at the First Hunt last night, which took place in the forests outside Vasdenin. Hollin smiled when he recalled his celebration as well as the look of mingled shock and relief on his relatives' face when he came home with a small deer over his shoulder. They never thought he would actually be able to do it but he did. He wasn't going to grow up to be a baker like his father; instead he would be a hunter. He beamed when he reminisced it all but there was something amiss. He shook his head, Nah! What could ever be amiss on such a fine day as this? Then he suddenly he paused when he heard some frisky sounds inside, wondering what could be going on inside the barn; he crouched low as he peeked through a small hole at the side of the barn. His dark blue eyes widened in surprise when he saw the old farmer Baltook surrounded in a strange fog raising his arms, walking stick in one hand high in the air while the animals were frantically jumping about. Witchcraft and Sorcery were running through Hollin's mind, his heart quickening as he anticipated the old farmer's next move. To his dismay, no apparent magic had taken place, he watched Baltook lower his arms and bend his body in a short bow before leaving the barn while the animals in turn acted as if nothing unusual had happened. Hollin sat on the ground and scratched his blonde head, what was that old farmer doing? As he stood up, he shook his head and scolded himself for listening to too many Sorcery stories from Miki, the town's storyteller. While he continued his leisurely stroll around the outskirts of the little town of Vasdenin, he passed by a familiar house.

Arianna, he thought excitedly, there was something about her he was trying to recall but couldn't.

_Maybe Arianna could help me remember my far-flung thoughts_, he wondered considerately, _she might even give me a hint or two about what her grandfather was all about back there._

Just as he was about to walk towards her door, his scarlet haired friend had burst out of it. When her eyes recognized Hollin, the boy waved cheerily but apparently the lass wasn't in the mood for cheery hellos. Arianna walked briskly towards him and pushed him forcefully on the ground.

"W-What did I do?" he asked, completely in shock.

Arianna's light brown eyes were aflame in anger, "How dare you? You scatterbrained imp! Do you realize how much trouble I had to go through because I fell asleep in the barn because YOU had forgotten to get ME for the FIRST HUNT!"

"F-first hunt?" Hollin stammered then his dark blue eyes looked troubled and confused before it broadened with recognition, "Oh…"

"Oh? Is that all you have to say after _I_ was banned from hunting and nearly getting my arm torn off because of your inconsiderate foolishness! You…You…_Imbecile_!" Arianna snapped as she folded her arms while she glared at the blonde haired lad with the bowed head. She was overreacting and she knew it.

Hollin stood up slowly and brushed the dust off himself before sincerely saying, "I'm sorry Arianna."

Arianna huffed, "Sorry? Ha! If you really are sorry you wouldn't mind picking up those two buckets over there and assisting me, would you?"

Hollin stared.

"What? Has your incompetent brain made you forget what two pails look like?"

Shaking his head no, Hollin immediately obeyed and picked up two buckets filled to the brim with water just a few steps away from them at the door of Arianna's cottage.

Arianna then smiled agreeably, "Good. Now grandfather had set a lot of chores for me today as a punishment. I saw it once I looked out of my window and saw him walking towards town which means that he won't be back till late in the afternoon thus leaving a hundred chores for me to accomplish. Now, if you want to make up for your mistake last night, I would gladly require your assistance. Then maybe after that, we could go out into the fields and catch some birds."

"Indeed…of course Arianna, I would be more than thrilled to help you out." Hollin replied, happy that he could do something to have Arianna's good mood back.

Nodding satisfactorily she moved towards the other side of the house and picked up another pail, which happened to be empty, and a small hoe. With Hollin by her side, they both strode towards the open fields to the east. Arianna then reluctantly listened as Hollin recounted his exciting adventure in the woods the night before and how he had caught his first kill as they kneeled on the fields cutting and sowing. Half-listening, she turned her gaze to the thick green forests beyond the fields where the fascinating event took place but sadly sighed as she turned back to her work and recalled her grandfather's words…

_You can NEVER be a hunter!_

Then she frowned slightly, looking back at the forests she stared at it with intense determination.

_No one can tell me what to do… not now, not ever! Not even my own grandfather can say I can't. I AM going to be a hunter, no matter what anyone says, I will BE the greatest woman hunter not only in Vasdenin but also in the whole world!_

Arianna was so filled with emotion she stood up quickly and a flock of birds, which were hiding a few meters away in the brush, flew away quickly. Arianna stared at them as they flew towards the woods. Hollin, startled by the sudden reaction of Arianna stood up too and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Arianna, what have I said?" he asked with concern.

Smiling brightly, she turned to him and said with firm fortitude, " Nothing Hollin. It's just that…I am going to be a hunter someday! No matter what anybody says."

Hollin smiled back faintly with a touch of puzzlement.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"_**Secret Plans and Mysterious Dreams"**_

Arianna gasped and woke with a start at early dawn. She was drenched in her own sweat and was panting heavily as though she had been running, which in her dream, she was. Her long scarlet hair was tangled all over her head, a few strands hanging in front of her eyes. She pressed her palm to her heart that was beating speedily in her. Sitting up straightly, she exhaled deeply and brushed the scarlet strands out of her face, trying to calm herself down. It was just another one of her nightmares. Habit made her reach for the glass on her bedside table but then she stopped. Not knowing why she did, she tried, for the first time in many years, to recall in her mind the vivid images of her dream.

_She remembered running in the forest, something was chasing her. She looked up and saw a gold jewel blinking high above the trees. She tried to reach for it but she couldn't. She then heard a loud menacing growl and fluttering of wings behind her so she forced herself to run faster. Then a few feet away, she saw a jeweled sword stuck to a tree, stopping to pull the sword out of the trunk; she yanked it out and was ready to face her pursuer. When she spun around, the heavy sword in her hands, the path behind her was empty until suddenly she saw a large red star floating towards her. When it was a few inches away from her it turned into a large amber lion with bright red wings, which roared and opened its mouth to consume her..._

Arianna opened her eyes.

Now that she thought about, her dreams varied from time to time but they always had that terrifying bird-lion, which always roared before it consumed her and that would always happen just before she woke up. Looking at the glass filled with tea, she was wondering if she should take it or not. Then, her fearless look of determination from yesterday morning returned to her face and she decided that if she was ready to become a true hunter, she might as well start enduring her nightmares like a bold and unafraid hunter facing a wolf or a large bear. Arianna looked out the window, it wasn't so entirely dark now, and light was already shining beyond the horizon.

The scarlet haired lass smiled and thoughtfully said, "This is going to be a grand new day."

After getting out of bed, she quickly changed out of her sleeping wear and into her working clothes. Then she slowly climbed down the ladder careful not to make any noise lest she might awaken her grandfather. Going outside, she started to do her morning chores of cooking and cleaning then after which she headed towards the barn to do more of her chores.

Opening the barn doors, she took in the sweet scent of fresh hay and morning dew. The cow mooed as she came into their view.

"A pleasant morning or should I say dawn to you Bernita," Arianna greeted the cow with a bright smile, " I hope you won't mind me coming in so early today. I had my nightmares again and since grandfather has given me so many chores to do, I think finishing it early would be a good idea. It would give me more time to myself later in the day."

Arianna laughed softly to herself when she started thinking how people might react to see her talking to animals. They might think she must be crazy pretending that the animals could actually understand her but her grandfather never reprimanded her for it, so she thought it wouldn't be any cause of alarm if she was talking to the animals or, in reality, talking out loud to herself. Arianna did wish one time in her life that somehow she might find a way to really talk to the animals so that they could probably answer her back. But, shaking her head, she knew that would never happen. Taking out a large fork, she tossed a few fresh straws of hay into the food crate of the cow. Then going to the other side of the barn, she pulled out a pail of oats from a small cabinet and walked towards the horses stall to fill their food bin.

"I brought a few carrots for you two," Arianna whispered with a smile as pulled a few cut pieces of carrots from her apron pocket which she tossed into their bin of oats. The two chestnut horses neighed with glee and Arianna then got a small hand brush, which was always placed on a small box near the fence, and started to rub down the horses.

As she was brushing the dark chestnut horse, she accidentally tipped a small pail of water nearby that splashed all over the place, half-wetting the horses' hoofs.

"Oh gods! How clumsy of me!" she cried as she started wiping some mud off the dark chestnut horse, just then she spotted a strange dark mark on the horse's hoof.

"Helli, what is this?" she asked as she took his hoof into her hands and tried to clearly make out the mark. To her surprise, the horse jerked away and whinnied loudly causing her to fall on her back. The light chestnut mare neighed wildly too and stood up on her hind legs. Arianna scrambled away and when she was a safe distance away from the horses' stall, she gazed at them with fright and confusion, "I-I'll just finish your brushing later then."

Wondering how strange events were becoming lately, she reached a hand into a huge sack by the doorway and dumped handful of birdseeds in her apron pocket for the chickens. As she picked up her egg basket, she had a strange feeling of many eyes watching her but when she looked around, there was no one except the animals and they were acting like their ordinary selves. Arianna went towards the hens' coop and started sprinkling birdseed all over that the hens crowded around her excitedly clucking as they pecked the ground. As the hens were busy feeding, Arianna looked into their nests and took out the eggs nestled inside placing them carefully into her egg basket. Then a flash of red feathers caught her eye, turning about she saw the old red rooster perched atop a fence looking at her. Smiling, Arianna said cheerily, "Well, a good morning to you, Fredol. I hope you still aren't sore at me because of that incident with my arrows—"

The sound of footsteps interrupted her and Arianna straightened up to find her grandfather walking slowly towards her.

"Well, I perceive my granddaughter has decided to have an early start in the day. Your tea was untouched, no nightmares last night I suppose." Baltook said with a kind smile so unlike that of the day before.

Arianna smiled back a little uneasily and shook her head, "No nightmares grandfather."

Her grandfather approached her and nodded his head, "I see. Well, I just came here to comment on the meal you made this morning. It was extremely appetizing, it seems you've outdone yourself this time Arianna."

Arianna laughed modestly, "I couldn't have done it without your tireless cooking lessons grandfather. I've learned a lot. I guess it was about time to make you see the fruits of your labors in me."

"I have and I enjoyed it immensely."

Arianna stooped down again to finish her egg-collecting task. While she was busy sorting out the good eggs from the bad ones, Baltook cleared his throat, "Uh, speaking of lessons Arianna. There is something important I want to talk to you about."

Without looking up, Arianna replied, "Yes, grandfather?"

"I don't want to go be equivocal about this, so I'll go straight to the point. Arianna, I'm sending you to town today."

Arianna's head shot up and she looked curiously at her grandfather, "To town? But harvest season hasn't even started yet? Why should I go to town? Do we need new materials? Tools?"

Baltook shook his head as he leaned on his staff, "It isn't that. But… you do remember that talk we had yesterday?"

Arianna nodded slowly. How could she forget that talk yesterday?

"Well, I did some thinking while I was in town yesterday and I was at first planning to give you to Old Wallita, the elderly lady next door to be her student but it turned out that she, the gods bless her soul, passed away the other day. But, things took a brighter turn when I was in town yesterday. I happened to bump into one of her daughters, Lilianne is her name and, after offering her my condolences, we had an interesting conversation… and a few moments later the subject turned to you."

Arianna listened intently as her grandfather continued but she had a strange feeling she wasn't going to like what he was going to say. Her grandfather was sounding too sincere today. The slight hesitation in his voice was not too comforting either; it definitely was something she wouldn't like.

"I confided in her my concerns about your… upbringing and she graciously offered to take you under her wing and give you a lesson or two about how to behave like… a young lady like you should behave. It seems she has taken over the occupation of her mother as a governess."

Baltook paused in his conversation to see the reaction of his granddaughter. But Arianna was silent and said nothing, her eyes downcast as she was fingering the hem of her torn apron.

"And, seeing as it was an offer I really couldn't refuse, I took it."

No! Arianna thought as she stood up quickly and said in disbelief, "Grandfather, you didn't!"

"Oh, but I did."

"I can't possibly go to town and live with that… that woman, I would feel so out of place!"

"She has two daughters and a few girls who are about your age under her supervision, I have no doubt that they'll make you feel at home there."

"Well I do have that doubt! Besides, who's going to look after you or the farm? And finish the chores?"

Baltook smiled knowingly, "Now, Arianna, you of all people should know that I am perfectly capable of living alone. Besides, I'm sure that Hollin can take care of the other things."

"Hollin?"

"Yes, my child, Hollin the baker's son. I asked him yesterday if he would be willing to assist me with your daily chores since you would be gone for a little while and being the humble helpful boy he is, he accepted. Since he's also your closest friend, I believe he won't find any trouble at all."

Arianna subtly clenched her fists; the thought of Hollin taking her place in the farm irritated her.

"Am I really leaving for town today grandfather?" Arianna asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"Yes, Arianna. I have your trunk in the cart and we can leave as soon as I have Helli and Fressica ready."

Arianna folded her arms stubbornly, "You can save the trouble of doing that grandfather because I am not going."

Baltook frowned, and said in a soft but stern voice, "Arianna, this is not the time to be stubborn. Don't make me lose my patience with you again today."

Trying to control the rage of emotions inside her, she dropped her arms slowly and decided that it wasn't worth getting yelled at again. So with a heavy heart, Arianna reluctantly consented.

Baltook looked pleased, "Very well then. After you have finished here, you may go to the cottage and make yourself look agreeable."

Arianna nodded and after she stored one last egg in her basket, she stood up and walked out of the barn in silence.

_At last, that girl has finally come to her right senses_, Baltook thought.

"_Did you feel that strange vibration yesterday Agmon?" _Bernita asked, moving into view from behind the hay. "_It could have only come from her. Agmon, do you think it right to be sending her into town today? She shouldn't be learning how to sew garden dresses or bake pastries! She should be learning the Animasi rites, chants and spells. She's of age Agmon and she can feel it. Her spirits are calling to her—"_

"_The more reason to send her away from all of this," _Agmon interrupted roughly, _"I am fully aware of her calling Bernita, do not think for a moment that I have just simply ignored the signs of her Animasinian spirits."_

"_Then why are you sending her to town Agmon? Now that her powers are growing, shouldn't it be controlled? Agmon, I revere you as the wisest man I know but now I'm starting to have my doubts." _Bernita persisted.

Agmon said nothing and his brows were knotted with deep thought.

"_Her inner eye is awakening. She has already seen signs that we are no ordinary animals. She saw my Animasinian mark." _Helli announced from his stall.

Agmon looked up at him, his gray eyes were shadowed with worry and concern that his plan was not going to turn out in the way he expected it to be.

"_This then proves that my rash decision making was in the right. Arianna cannot be asking questions, not yet and not now. It is too soon. I believe the country air is invoking these sensations in her and I am sending her away from it."_

"_But Agmon—"_

" I cannot face her and tell her all of this now, it is too soon!" Agmon shouted out loud, breaking the silent mental conversation.

The Animasi stared in surprise at the old man's emotional outburst. It was the first time he had ever reacted in such a manner, Agmon eyes were filled with tears and he spoke aloud to them,

"She's my granddaughter… I know that she may not be in reality but she is one in my heart… she's my only granddaughter and I am only doing so to protect her as I had promised her father long ago. She's still too young to know the truth, she cannot handle it all yet, it would break her! I would rather the most terrible death than see Arianna shattered because of the knowledge of who she truly is!"

There was a long silence in the barn.

"_What danger is there about telling her that she is the future Queen of Grethania?" _the pig snorted quietly.

_Terrible danger_, said Agmon.

"_Do you think the Sorceress could have felt that vibration?"_ said Fressica, trying to channel the subject differently.

Fredol joined in the conversation, _"Impossible! Her realm is more than a thousand leagues away from Vasdenin and besides, the vibration sent by Arianna's spirits are too vague to be called hers when felt in far away lands"_

"_But there may be a possible chance. In any case, we must be prepared." _Answered Helli.

"_Then so be it. But Arianna is still going to town and if nothing happens while she's there, we will stay here for a month or two. If something does happen, we will leave right away or wait till after the Spring Fairy Festival." _Agmon announced gravely.

"_The Spring Fairy Festival is a week from now."_ Bernita said.

"_A week is the longest time the Sorceress can take to act on." _Agmon replied.

Silence resumed in the barn.

"_Helli. Fressica. Come, it is time to go. Arianna must be finished and waiting for us at the moment."_ Agmon announced after a while and after preparing the two horses, he walked out of barn holding their reins in his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"_**Vasdenin's Worst Crime" **_

Trudging heavily towards the small cottage, Arianna entered the house silently and finished her chores. She then cleaned herself up and made ready for her trip to town. She tried to act nonchalantly about it all but by the time she had gone back outside the house; she broke down in tears and started sobbing on the ground.

_I don't want to leave this place; this is my home… my life. Where else can I be happier in except here? I don't care if I don't grow up to be a proper Vasdenin woman. Why should I have to live the rest of my life as a boring old housewife to some low-spirited hunter in town? she thought to herself. I would be at ease just being a farmer's granddaughter._

At that moment, she paused in her weeping when she started thinking cautiously about her situation. Wiping her eyes, she looked far beyond the fields towards the far-flung mountains.

_If only my life weren't as dull as it is now. I wouldn't really be as content as I am at the moment…being just an old man's granddaughter. I could have been a huntress in the wild villages to the south; or even a knight in the South; I could have been a warrior living alone in the Forbidden Mountains or a beautiful fairy residing in the Eastern Fields of Lisien. Even being a dragon or troll hunter wouldn't be so bad_, Arianna thought all of this long and hard.

Then as Arianna continued musing on her wild thoughts, an idea sparked in her head. A dangerous, reckless but great idea!

"I'm going to run away!" she told herself, half excited and half frightened at the notion.

_I could run away to the mountains. I know how to survive on my own out there!_ Her thoughts ran uncontrollably in her head as she hurried towards a small horse cart nearby, which stood ready and waiting to be carried off.

Her trunk was stashed in the back together with a few other things. Arianna grabbed a small sack from the side of the house and climbed into the cart. Quickly opening her trunk and stashing a few clothes and special trinkets inside her sack, she stopped, suddenly realizing something was amiss. Digging deep into the large chest, she found out that there were some things missing, which were her hunting clothes as well as her bow and arrows. There could be no other supposition; her grandfather must have taken it. With a frustrated groan, she banged her fist on top of the trunk and jumped out of the cart. Well, it wouldn't matter, she could steal some new clothes and weapons in the villages near the mountains Shouldering her heavy sack, she started to run when she heard a low whistle from behind her. Turning around, she saw Hollin coming towards her.

"What are YOU doing here?" Arianna snapped as the boy approached her.

He took one look at her heavy sack and her irritated expression before speaking. "You know, running away isn't a really good idea."

"Oh really? Then I suppose you're going to try and stop me, tie me up and dump me in that cart till my grandfather arrives?" the scarlet haired girl asked sarcastically.

The boy's ears turned bright pink but replied earnestly, "If necessary, yes."

Arianna forced a laugh, "Ha! Well, let me see you try little boy!"

But when Arianna was already a good distance away from him, Hollin shouted after her, "You don't know what you're missing if you don't get on that cart Arianna!"

Arianna replied sardonically as she continued walking, "Hmmm… I would be missing having to dress up in silly frilly garments with stinky flowers stuck up in my hair as well as having to sit all day on a tiny stool knitting while smelling of dough and sugar! Oh yes! I would really HATE to miss all that!"

Then, Hollin ran to catch up with her, standing in front of her he placed both his hands on her shoulders to stop her.

"Wait Arianna! Just listen for a moment!"

Arianna glared at him but she stopped and crossed her arms, "You better have something worthwhile to tell me before I start hanging you up that tree over there." She said indicating the birch tree nearby.

Hollin smiled despite her harsh threat, "I wasn't talking about your etiquette lessons in town with that lady your grandfather told me about. I was talking about the upcoming archery contest."

Arianna's eyes lit up with curiosity and interest, "Archery contest?'

Hollin nodded, "They're having an archery contest in town as a sort of entertainment for the Spring Fairy Festival."

"Spring Fairy Festival…" Arianna murmured before smiling, "That's about a week from now isn't it?'

"Yes." Hollin replied excitedly, "But the Archery contest takes place the day before that and it's together with the Priceless Gift challenge."

"Priceless Gift challenge, what in Kannaham's name is that?"

"It's a new challenge, just enacted yesterday, it's a challenge for a few chosen hunters who are tasked to find the most valuable treasure in Vasdenin worthy enough of presenting to the King and Queen Fairy visiting. It will be a great honor to the hunter who achieves this and I hear the prize is definitely worth the trouble of it."

Arianna looked at her friend inquisitively, "Where did you hear all this?"

"From my uncle," Hollin answered proudly, "he was invited to a supper at the town head's home in town last night and there he heard everything and passed it on to us just this morning over breakfast. I, of course, wanted to go into town to join in but Father says I'm still too young even if I did pass the manhood challenge." At this remark, Hollin scowled, "But then I thought of you and I remembered old Baltook mentioning about you moving into town with that lady for lessons and if I can't go on that adventure, at least you could. You can tell me all about it afterwards."

"Are you absolutely sure of this?"

"Yes."

Arianna beamed and to both their surprise, she hugged him, "Hollin you are truly an angel in disguise! This is a moment I've been dreaming of for years!"

Hollin blushed and laughed sheepishly, "It's the least I can I do after abandoning you in the barn the other night. Do you know that I am going to be taking your place here after you leave?"

Arianna let go of him quickly, cleared her throat and nodded, "I know. Well, now that I think about it. There's no one better to take my place here than you Hollin. Are you sure you don't want to come and join me?"

Hollin looked down at his feet, "I really want to but… I'd just be a blundering half-wit next to you. Besides, Father would be looking for me and he'd give me a nasty beating if he ever found out what I've been up to." Hollin replied slowly.

"I see." Arianna said, understanding that Hollanden was a fierce man, though only the town's baker. He gave reckless beatings to all of his sons and the deep scars on their backs proved it. All his sons were very cautious when it came to facing their father, but none as cautious as Hollin the youngest.

"So, are you really going to town then?" Hollin asked, changing the topic.

Arianna smiled knowingly, "I would be a blundering half-wit if I didn't go. Come on Hollin, help me return these things back in my trunk."

So they both walked back to the cart and Arianna deposited her things back inside her trunk quickly but before she was about to close the trunk, Hollin said, "Arianna, you're without doubt an extremely forgetful girl nowadays."

Arianna looked down at Hollin from the cart with a frown, " Oh really? And what exactly do you mean by that bold statement?"

Hollin smiled mysteriously and ran towards the back of her house. Arianna was in a state of confusion when he came back carrying a two package in his hands. One was small and compact while the other was long and bulky, they were both slightly covered in dirt.

"Are you really trying to tell me that you plan to secretly attend an Archery contest without these?"

Hollin tore off the wrapping, revealing Arianna's bow and quiver and her hunting clothes. Arianna's eyes lit up with wonder and joy when she beheld these objects, "Oh Hollin! You kept them! I thought grandfather stowed them away so I wouldn't be tempted to...Never mind. This is fantastic! Thank you Hollin."

Arianna took her belongings in her arms and hurriedly placed it away inside her trunk. After which, she jumped out of the cart and was talking animatedly with the blonde haired lad when Baltook came out of the barn with the two horses behind him.

"Ah, I see young Hollin has arrived to keep you company while I was preparing the horses." Baltook remarked as he approached the two, "Well then, Arianna, I believe it's time to depart. Say your goodbyes to Hollin now."

As Baltook was taking the horses in front of the cart, Arianna whispered closely to Hollin, "I won't be gone for too long. After I win that contest and show everyone that even a mere peasant girl like me can beat the best of Vasdenin's men in Archery, the whole town will evidently understand why a girl such as myself should withdraw from mere peasant girl duties and instead be recognized as a Vasdenin hunter."

"But what if the whole town decides to murder you? You and I both know that you'll be committing one of the worst crimes ever to be done in Vasdenin." Hollin stated.

Arianna smiled confidently and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Then, my friend, I'll return here to get you and, if you're willing, we could both run away together towards the Forbidden Mountains and spend the rest of our years as outlaws or warriors or even dragon hunters. We can be whatever we want to be and have adventures every single day of our lives!"

Hollin smiled happily, the thought of spending the rest of his life in exile with the beautiful and daring Arianna was like a dream come true.

"Arianna! Come!" Baltook called.

"You will come back, won't you?" Hollin whispered quickly.

"I will, I promise!" Arianna replied before she got into the horse cart beside her grandfather. She looked back and saw Hollin waving to her, and she waved back with a radiant smile.

"May the gods guide you on your journey!" Hollin declared the Northerners ancient farewell.

"And may they guard you till I return!" Arianna answered back.

On their way to town, Arianna was humming cheerily and Baltook looked closely at his granddaughter, "You seem to be in a good mood. Did Hollin say something to make you change your mind about going to town and living with Madam Lilianne?"

"Perhaps." was the young girl's reply.

They were both silent as the horse cart went past the fields and a few country houses. Arianna glanced at the tall stalks of wheat and corn wondering if she would ever live to see them again after she goes off and breaks one of the most eminent rules of the northern lands. Heaving a small sigh, she decided to turn her gaze to the long dusty road and listened instead to the monotonous clopping of the horses' hooves and the occasionally creaking of the wooden cart.

As they entered the town's main gate and unto the main road of the town, they heard the diverse sounds and chatters of the town folk in full activity for the preparation of the anticipated Spring Fairy Festival. Old wives and their friends were caught up in some interesting gossip as they carried huge baskets of flowers and streamers towards the great meadow. A few men and boys were bringing in long poles and large sheets for the tents while other men carried barrels heavy with wine and cider. Girls could be seen from the window of their houses trying on their new spring dresses while decorating their hairs with garlands of daisies and buttercups. Delicious aromas floated out from the open windows of the nearby houses accompanied by the harsh tones of the cook rebuking the noisy restless children trying to get a hand on some of the delicious pastries baking. Merchants from all over were busily decorating and preparing their stalls for the festival and a few assigned dramatists were rehearsing for their performance in an open space. Farmers from the fields carried bushels of hay or baskets full of their produce that were mostly vegetables freshly harvested from their gardens. Baltook smiled thoughtfully as he watched all this, but his granddaughter's attention drifted elsewhere.

Arianna was enormously fascinated with the newly polished bows and shining swords that the Vasdenin boy hunters were showing off to each other. They were all prepared for the many tournaments and games that were going to take place on the Spring Fairy Festival.

Arianna's attention was suddenly drawn towards a group of boys nearby. One of them was loudly boasting of his archery skill during the First Hunt, he began declaring how easily he could shoot two birds out of the sky with a single arrow. His friends pointed out a flock of sparrows flying by, daring him to shoot one down. With confidence, the boy took out his polished bow, drew an arrow and aimed for the birds. But his pride soon got the best of him when his arrow hardly came close to the flock of birds, flying instead to the top of a tall tree. His friends laughed rowdily at the boastful boy who was burning with shame and anger at his missed shot.

_Ha! What a foolish boy he is as well as blind! I could have taken three birds down with a single shot if I were in his place. How could he have missed them? He was in perfect range of those sparrows, _Arianna ruminated.

Shaking her head, Arianna turned back her attention to the road.

The young girl's light brown eyes widened with excitement as their horse cart passed by the area where the archery contest was to be held. It was a vacant lot that had been cleared out and fixed up. Men were measuring the ground while young servant boys were helping to put up long poles and banners. Arianna felt a strange tingling at the tip of her fingers, itching to have her bow in her hand. Her moment of glory was drawing near.

Arianna couldn't help but smile as she passed by the town's largest tavern, she could already hear some hunters merrymaking and the tunes of lively music coming from the inside. One day, she would be a part of it all too.

"I believe that this year's Spring Fairy Festival is going to be more far exciting than last year's, don't you think so Arianna?" Baltook stated.

"I think it definitely will be a lot more exciting grandfather." Arianna answered with a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"**_Madam Lilianne and her Daughters"_**

Baltook pulled the reins and the horses halted. Arianna looked up at the house they had stopped at. It was an affluent looking manor though small in stature compared to the other manors. It was two stories high and there were four windows on the second floor indicating four rooms. A tray of hollyhocks and tulips were blooming out of a flower tray just below the windowpanes. The smell of a freshly baked pie drifted out from the inside and Arianna's mouth watered when she sniffed the air. All in all it seemed a pretty decent house for a really decent family. Baltook stepped down from the horse's cart and motioned Arianna to do the same. Just then, the green door opened and a plump woman decked out in a maroon gown that was lavishly decorated appeared and her face was flushed as she cheerily clapped her hands with excitement saying in a high pitched voice so unlike her figure,

"O-hoo! How lovely to see you could make it Baltook. The gods have you in their protection. I welcome you! Ah! This must be the lovely Arianna we conversed about."

Arianna surveyed the round woman approaching their cart in an amusing manner. The lady looked to be about in her mid-forties. Her accent didn't sound as foreign as she looked; she spoke as any Northern villager would. Arianna heard that this woman traveled to many rich lands in the south since her marriage to a wealthy nobleman in the west kingdom. Her thinning black hair was pulled tightly into a brightly decorated bun at the back of her head. Her deep blue eyes were bright and wide with excitement as she bustled forward. Her skin was rosy and white illuminating a healthy demeanor. She smiled broadly, revealing a few crooked but pearly white teeth as she raised her ample arms in welcome.

Arianna smiled meekly at this sight, _Madam doesn't look half as bad as I expected her to be, maybe I can learn something from her._

The woman turned to Arianna and her face fell slightly at the sight of Arianna's unsightly looking dress, which consisted of a long white tunic and a shorter gray one worn over it, and though it seemed presentable, it showed signs of heavy wear; the color was also a bit faded and there were minute signs of dust and grime. Arianna's smile faded, _maybe I was wrong_, but didn't seem offended by sudden change of expression in the large woman's face; on the contrary, she expected it.

"Madam Lilianne! Greetings! May the gods bless you and your household! Yes, this is my granddaughter Arianna. I'm so glad that you consented to take her under your wing at such short notice." Baltook said not taking notice of the plump woman's appalled reaction to his granddaughter's appearance.

Madam Lilianne regained her pleasant smile, "Ah, yes! Certainly Baltook, it's no trouble at all. Mother always called you a respectable and righteous man, it's the least I can do for you after you saved her from those wolves out in the fields long ago."

Baltook smiled comfortably remembering the incident, "Your mother was a brave and honest woman."

Then, he noticed Arianna fumbling with her top and looking down the road with agitation.

"Well, Lilianne, I see I must be taking up your time. Let me just take Arianna's trunk to her room, if you find it agreeable with you, then I'll be on my way." Baltook stated.

Lilianne nodded, "Yes, of course. Please follow me."

Arianna followed behind her grandfather as they entered the governess's house. Arianna paused a bit when she stepped inside. The house seemed a lot larger on the inside. Her grandfather had gone with the plump women up the stairs, which was a few feet away from her and disappeared from view. Arianna looked to her left and saw a small room decorated in the usual colors of an everyday sitting room, she could hear a few distinct female voices from the inside but she didn't bother to go and find out who they were. On her right was an open door that clearly led to the kitchen or the dining room. The house was adequately furnished here and there. There were a few paintings and carvings of gods lined up along the walls. Apparently, Madam Lilianne had wanted her home to be brimming with furnishings and decorations but just couldn't afford it. Arianna stood observing the atmosphere of the home she was to reside in and decided that though a little too over done for her, it was habitable. She ascended to the floor above and saw that there were exactly four rooms up there, probably each room matching with a window she had seen outside. Arianna moved along to the last room where the door stood ajar and she heard the familiar voices of her grandfather and Madam Lilianne.

Baltook smiled when he saw his granddaughter by the doorway, "Arianna. Here is your room. Madam Lilianne informed me that you'll be sharing it with her two daughters."

"I'll be sharing a room?" Arianna said slowly.

Madam Lilianne nodded cheerily, "Indeed you are! With Lila and Luli! They're wonderful girls I assure you. I believe you'll be the best of friends very soon. You can ask them for assistance in unpacking your things. Meanwhile, this petite comfy thing right here will be your bed."

Baltook glanced out the window and said, "Well, Arianna, I have to leave now. Be obedient and try not to be a nuisance to Madam Lilianne while you're here. I look forward to see a new and cheerful granddaughter when I return next week."

"Next week?" Arianna repeated.

Baltook nodded and walked towards his granddaughter, kissing Arianna lightly on her forehead, "Farewell Arianna."

"May the gods guide you on your journey, Baltook." Madam Lilianne said softly.

Baltook smiled but looked at Arianna instead, "And may they guard you till I return."

Then he walked out of the room. Madam Lilianne smiled gleefully, "I'll ask Lila and Luli to come up and see you. They're around your age, you know. My Luli is turning sixteen this summer while my darling baby Lila is a bubbling eight year old. I might introduce you to the other girls at suppertime, which is about an hour from this moment. You just stay here and rest awhile, Arianna."

Arianna said nothing as she walked towards the window and watched her grandfather ride away on the horse cart.

Looking at him leave, Arianna felt a strange and eerie feeling wash over her as if this was the last time she would ever see her grandfather… but she shook her head, dismissing such grim thoughts…

She heard Madam Lilianne leave the room, shutting the door behind her. Sighing heavily, the scarlet haired girl turned around and looked at the room she was about to be sharing with the Madam's daughters. _I wonder if they're as humongous as she is_, Arianna mused wittily.

The girl's room was fancy and extremely tidy. Decked with flowers, ribbons and whitewashed walls where huge pots of leafy greens hung. Arianna couldn't help staring at it all. She rigidly sat down on a small cot on the floor, which Madam Lilianne had pointed out to be her bed, she kept her arms close to her side afraid that the slightest touch could ruin this perfectly well made bedroom. Wondering what to do next, she decided to start unpacking. Arianna took out her own sheets from the trunk and spread it our on her little cot. Then, she caught sight of the filthy packages that enclosed her hunting gear hanging slightly out of the trunk. Arianna pushed it back in and shut the lid of her trunk tightly.

A light thudding outside her door made her look behind her. The door of the room creaked open and standing outside were two prim and proper looking girls dressed in what seemed to be certainly uncomfortable gowns, both colored dark blue and adorned with a few gems. By just a glance at their features, you could immediately distinguish them as the daughters of Madam Lilianne. They both shared the similar jet-black hair, wide blue eyes of their mother though they both differed in size as well as character and her elegant fashion sense. The tall one, who looked to be about Arianna's age, appeared amiable and calm despite her surprisingly lean figure, high cheekbones and pale white skin. Her black hair was pulled into braids and she had an uneasy expression on her face, which could be attributed to her well-fitted attire. She tried to smile politely but instead made an odd grimace. The younger one stood shyly behind her sister. She had a more thickset build and her cheeks were rosy and pink like her mother but she was constantly fidgeting and whining softly as she tugged at her sister's long dress while she cautiously glimpsed the newcomer. Her black hair was kept out of her face by a thick red headband and she pouted a lot.

"Hello." Arianna greeted with an awkward smile, "You must be Luli and Lila. Madam Lilianne's daughters?"

"She looks silly. Her hair looks like it's on fire. Why are her clothes ragged and filthy?" the little one commented loudly.

Her sister shushed her and turned to face Arianna, "I apologize for Lila's rude behavior, she's only seen eight winters and she tends to be so impolite especially to strangers. Yes, we're Madam Lilianne's daughters. My name is Luli. And your name is Arianna… am I right?"

Arianna nodded.

"We came up to see if you required any assistance in unpacking." Luli said.

Arianna was about to reply yes when she quickly remembered her hunting gear inside, "Uh, thank you very much but I'll be all right. I don't have that much to unpack anyway."

"You know, I don't mean to sound rude but you do look slightly…grimy and your clothes are the most horrid things I've ever seen." Luli blurted out.

Arianna frowned, _so much for first impressions._

"Well, I didn't have anything else to put on and I had a rather long and dusty ride coming from the fields. Besides, I've noticed your own garments are not that pleasing for you either." The scarlet-headed girl stated blandly.

"It truly isn't. Mother made us wear these ridiculously tight clothes saying we look good in it. But I don't fancy it one bit!" Lila whined, fidgeting even more with her dress.

"Stop that fiddling this instant Lila or Mother will surely give you a harsh scolding later on." Luli reprimanded squeezing one of Lila's chubby little hands.

Arianna walked towards the two girls and knelt in front of Lila, scanning her frilly attire.

"I believe it would be less uncomfortable if you just loosen your cords here a little." Arianna gently pulled the ribbons attached to the back of Lila's dress and tied it again more loosely.

Surprised at how quickly her uneasiness faded, Lila smiled, "You're right. I do feel a lot better now."

But to Arianna's surprise, Luli slapped Arianna's hands away and snapped, "Why did you do that? You're ruining the whole purpose of Lila's beautiful dress! It's supposed to be tied like the way before not in this manner! No matter how uncomfortable it may seem. Furthermore, you have no right to interfere in other people's affairs."

Arianna stood up and faced Luli, "I have no view whatsoever of the kind of purpose this dress bears except bringing its wearer complete and absolute discomfort. I am also not interfering with your sister's affairs, if you can actually call a matter of clothing an affair; I was merely trying to help her breathe more freely. Furthermore, no one can tell me what I can or can't do."

Luli's blue eyes were filled with bewilderment as she listened to Arianna, "How dare you speak to me that way? I reside in this house and you…you are nothing but an unwelcome peasant!"

"If you do find me so unpleasant, I would be happy to move myself out of this terrible place and into a local tavern where I can find people who I can have a more intelligent conversation with."

"Would you care to do so now?"

"I would."

"Mother will not be pleased by this quarrelling!" Lila piped up.

Luli looked down at Lila. Then, realizing that this conversation was not at all to her liking, Luli sighed and tried to regain her calm composure. This redheaded peasant girl was becoming more and more insufferable by the minute and Luli was not at all obliged to have this petty disagreement with her at the moment.

Arianna walked back in and smoothened out her cot, trying hard to suppress her rising temper. She took a deep breath and brushed her hand over imaginary wrinkles on her bed. Her intuitions about going to this place was unerringly precise, there was no use living with these people in this place.

The two dark haired girls entered their room and as Luli sat stiffly on a bed opposite to Arianna's cot, Lila sat on the other vacant bed and petted her dolls.

Lila looked up and stared at Arianna's large chest with curiosity.

"What's inside that?" Lila asked.

"Nothing that you would be of your interest." Arianna answered softly without looking up.

"Can I open it?" she asked.

"No."

"I just want to have a little peek." The little girl persisted.

"I already told you no and my word is final." Arianna said looking at Lila with flashing brown eyes.

"What harm can she do by examining your trunk?" Luli asked, a hint of annoyance in her tone.

_Harm enough to have me hanged, beheaded or burned at a stake. _Arianna said to herself.

Lila pouted and crossed her arms, "All I want is to know what you have inside."

Arianna stood up and looked at her, "You want to know what I have inside?"

Lila nodded firmly.

"That trunk contains three pairs of working garments, one torn nightgown, two broken plates, a torn book about horses, two pairs of leather shoes, a few rags, a collection of different bolts, nails and horseshoes in a large sack, an extra dress for special occasions, a bag of colored stones, a knife, a brush, a quilt, a few coins in a purse and my old doll. Are you satisfied?" Arianna remarked irritably as she stood in front of her trunk protectively.

Lila pouted even more. Arianna's resoluteness made Lila even more curious to know what this peasant girl was hiding in her trunk. So she stomped her feet and shrieked, "But I want to SEE them!"

"You will never see them because I won't let you." Arianna answered back threateningly.

The little girl persisted as she screamed and pushed Arianna out of the way. Arianna was slightly unbalanced but quickly regained her stability. Lila screamed with outrage and started throwing anything that she could get her hands on towards Arianna's face, but the quick-minded farmer girl caught all of them before any damage could be done. Luli stared in horror at the ongoing battle in her bedroom. Lila made a final attempt to get to the trunk when Arianna moved forward and shoved Lila to the floor before the girl had any chance to unbolt the trunk and see its contents. Luli broke out of her daze and caught her sister before she landed.

"You—you little red vixen! How dare you do that to my little sister?"

Arianna ignored her and faced Lila, "Don't you ever lay your hands on my trunk ever again."

"Why? Are you hiding something in it?" the little sister cried out.

Arianna said nothing in reply. But Luli could read the obvious emotions in her light brown eyes.

"Are you?" the older one repeated with more suspicion than curiosity.

Arianna sat atop her trunk and folded her arms, "That, my dear girls, is none of your concern."

Before Luli could answer back to that meaningless statement, they heard large heavy footsteps approaching. Madam Lilianne appeared at the doorway, her large blue eyes affixed on the room, which looked similar to a village torn apart by a wicked typhoon.

"By the gods! What terrible calamity has occurred in this room?" Madam Lilianne exclaimed.

None of the girls said anything until Lila broke into tears and ran to her mother.

"In Kannaham's name, what is the matter, child?" Madam asked her daughter who was tightly clutching Madam's red dress.

Lila blubbered a few words before whining, "My dress itches! Where's my pink one!"

Arianna let out a silent sigh of relief… _At least that little brat had enough sense to keep her big mouth shut…_

Madam's confused gaze turned into a warm smile, "Is that what all this fuss is about then? Oh you girls gave me such a fright! Now, come along, supper is on the table and I do believe Arianna would want to meet the other girls." Arianna looked up at the mention of her name.

"You would want to meet them, won't you my dear?" Madam asked over-politely.

Arianna forced a small smile and slightly nodded her head, "I would Madam. Very much."

"Very well then, shall we all go down then?" Madam then looked at Luli, "Why, Luli my daughter, are you feeling all right?"

Luli's frown quickly evaporated when she realize that her mother had taken notice of it, instead she gave Madam a feigned smile, "Oh don't mind me Mother. I was only thinking about those curtains you requested me to mend; I can't seem to find the proper technique for it."

Madam nodded but was not quite convinced. She was aware that her daughter was withholding something, and it may be something concerning the new girl from the fields. She must act quickly so as not to arouse a growing conflict between these two young girls. She knew her daughter too well and she would not let this matter transpire in her domain.

"Luli, I just recalled something I wanted to ask you. Would you be so kind as to lend Arianna one of your old dresses my dear. Goodness knows, she needs one desperately at the moment." Said Madam in her sweet high-pitched voice.

"No! I—I mean that's very kind of you Madam but I can do without one." Arianna protested before Luli could say anything. The last thing she would want to wear at the moment was Luli's dress.

Madam waved her hand, "Nonsense my dear girl! Now Luli go and fetch your green spring dress that you hardly wear anymore. I believe Arianna would look positively splendid in it."

Arianna watched as Luli disappeared back inside the room.

"Please Madam. It's no trouble at all really." Arianna pleaded.

"Tut tut child! You should be grateful for this gift I am giving or should we say the gift Luli is giving to you for your first day with us. Her dress came all the way from the Pearl Islands in the west. Their culture there is extremely advanced."

Luli came back and she held in her arms a silky green gown with long transparent sleeves, it was shoulder cut and had red and blue sequins formed curls and spirals on the front. But it wasn't only the designs of the dress that made Arianna's eyes widen with shock, it was the presence of a bodice similar to the ones Luli and Lila had on their own dresses that made Arianna fear that the dress would literally take her breath away as well.

"What are you waiting for dear girl? Go back inside and try it on! Luli, kindly assist Arianna, if you please."

Arianna knew that nothing she could do or say would alter Madam's decision. So she regretfully went back inside her room with Luli. Luli too was not at all happy about giving Arianna, this redheaded peasant girl who intentionally harassed her sister, her own beautiful dress. It was an outrage but she also realized that her mother always had the final word. As they both went into the room, Luli closed and locked the door. She turned and saw Arianna standing stationary in the middle of the room.

"What are you waiting for? Take off your disgusting clothes at once!" Luli snapped.

Arianna jumped at the sound of Luli's voice and started undressing. When she was left standing in only her undergarments. Luli tossed her the dress.

"Go on, put it on!" she jeered.

Arianna struggled with the dress as she tried to put it on right and Luli was finding her great effort to do it very amusing. When Arianna somehow managed to put her arms and head in the right holes and push the dress down. Luli came out from behind her and smirked as she grabbed the two large green ribbons from Arianna's dress and pulled tightly, depriving Arianna of all her air. She gasped painfully, _Why Gods? Why do I have to suffer such torment in this wretched place full of wretched people! _But then Arianna glanced outside her window and saw some men with bows and arrows and she found a glimmer of hope in her state;_ I guess_ _if achieving success means going through a terrible impediment such as this, it's entirely worth the struggle. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"**_The Escape"_**

Four days passed since Arianna was in Madam Lilianne's household and it hadn't been all that pleasant since the day she arrived. Arianna soon met her other companions who were also under the training of Madam Lilianne. There was Trinia, the daughter of Vasdenin's blacksmith Vilgroth, Polli who was the daughter of a wealthy tailor and Gromedina, an orphan. Of all these girls that Arianna came to know, it was Gromedina who Arianna respected most since Gromedina shared Arianna's remorse in not having any parents of her own. But even though they had a few common interests, Gromedina was very reclusive, wanting to keep to herself rather than sharing ideas with the other girls most especially the redheaded peasant girl from the fields who she liked the least of all. Arianna left all the girls alone and tried to make herself fit into this new society with new rules not at all to her liking.

Educating a peasant girl to behave like a proper gentlewoman was an extremely difficult and complex task; Madam Lilianne came to realize that on the fifth day of Arianna's stay.

Arianna came out of the dining room just before teatime clutching a silver tray that carried a large ceramic teapot, a small bowl of sugar, a tiny beaker of honey and two delicate teacups full to the brim. She walked into the sitting room in an extremely awkward fashion given that her attire was utterly uncomfortable as well as burdensome. The young girl was dressed up in a long velvet silk gown, over which she wore even longer lavender tunic and her long scarlet hair was hidden and kept underneath a large feathery blue cap that could hardly stay still atop her head. Her satin shoes pinched her feet as she walked and she grimaced while she endured the burns in each of her tiny steps.

The other girls were sitting on large cozy armchairs sewing and knitting leisurely while they secretly giggled and taunted the poor little peasant girl that was now the poor little dressed up doll trying to make her way towards the end of the hallway where Madam and her visitor, the town head's wife, were making lengthy gossips and thunderous laughter. There area was littered with yarn balls and many colored threads. Luli's gray half-starved cat, which was an unfortunate looking creature, was lying on the floor gnawing on one of the yarn balls.

"Just look at that poor wretched little thing, I feel such pity for it, don't you Polli?" Luli proclaimed in a loud tone as she pulled her little needle through her stitching pad.

The other girls softly snickered.

"Which poor wretched thing are you referring to Luli? The animal at the foot of your chair or the animal limping down the hallway?" the blonde girl replied with a mocking grin.

The girls burst into raucous laughter and Arianna didn't try to pretend that she couldn't hear them. She heard them perfectly well and it took every little fiber in her body and mind to keep her from drowning them all in hot chamomile tea.

_Think of the archery contest, it's happening this afternoon, put them out of your mind, just think of the contest_, Arianna told herself. But one day they will be sorry, though now wasn't the appropriate moment for the passing of their consequences. Arianna first had to discover a way to reach her governess' table in one piece then she might have a good timing for the execution of her escape.

Arianna winced as she took another step, she could hardly see her path ahead since the feathered cap was slowly making its way over her eyes. The tray shook in her hands as she grew more perturbed and exhausted with every step she made. Her clothes weighed down on her and she could feel a trickle of sweat drip from her brow. Then, after a few more excruciating strides, she heard the high-pitched voice of her governess.

"Ah, now Anillina, let me introduce you to my newest student, Arianna."

Arianna could barely see the town head's wife, but she caught the slight nod of acknowledgement from her. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as she tried her best to execute a proper curtsey but because of the unbearable pain in her heels, she simply bent her knees and head slightly with an uncomfortable smile.

"How do you do Arianna?" the eminent visitor greeted.

But before Arianna could answer, Madam cut in, "She came from the fields you know. When she arrived her she was nothing short of a peasant rascal. Now, look at her, a proper and refined lady."

The two women chuckled lightly. Arianna tried her best to keep her posture erect and straight but the pains in her shoulders were as agonizing as the burns on her feet.

"So, Anillina dear, would you care to have some tea?" Madam Lilianne asked cheerily.

Madam Anillina nodded, "I would be delighted to."

Then Madam looked at the peasant girl with a glint of severity in her eye. Arianna then realized that she was still holding the silver tray. Sighing with relief that she would be finally rid of her burden, she took a few steps forward so as to lay the silver platter as gracefully as possible unto the miniature tea table.

Suddenly, at the very moment Arianna stepped forward, a yarn ball came rolling and unraveling before her path and following after it was Luli's disheveled gray cat. So it was that Arianna's stride was cut short as it's path collided with the cat's thus allowing Arianna to lurch forward causing the silver tray and all its contents to come flying into the very laps of the gentlewomen sitting at the tea table.

Ear piercing shrieks rang throughout the house alongside some uproarious laughter that was followed by some shouts of pain as the girl's enormous amusement caused their sharp needles to prick their little fingers.

Arianna looked up from under her blue-feathered cap to see how much damage what her fateful blunder had caused. She cringed at the prospect of the situation.

Both the plump ladies were springing all about the room, shrieking while they wrung their hands over their heads and tried to cool the burning effect of the hot liquid all over their intricate garments. The young girls were in a confused state, half laughing at the comical commotion before them and half crying over their prickly pains caused by their pointed needles. It was all pure chaos in Arianna's eyes but she knew better than to just be lying on the ground watching everyone in the room in their hilarious state. This was all entirely her fault and she would not want to stay for the humiliation portion. But, then again, though the situation at the moment was far from what Arianna was anticipating, here was the perfect time to execute her carefully planned revenge by causing more destruction unto those who had caused her so much shame and torture as well as her plan for her escape.

Arianna hastily tossed her hat aside, stood up and gathered her dress in her hands, with a sly grin on her face, she believed it was the perfect time to say good-bye to this appalling family and to start her new life as the only woman hunter of Vasdenin…or the worst and youngest outlaw of the Northern lands. More importantly, Arianna knew what would serve as a farewell present to her "dear" friends.

Swiftly sprinting towards the kitchen, she heard the outraged cry of Madam bellowing her name. Arianna had to act quickly before they find out what she was going to do and ruin her entire plan. Once Arianna was in the large kitchen, relieved to find the cook absent, she approached a small cupboard that was hidden behind the stove and opened it. A foul stench emerged from inside the compartment, particularly underneath a large sack and there was a dull sound of scratching and faint squeaking as well. Ignoring the odor and sounds, she pulled the sack away revealing a long steel cage. Smiling cunningly, she laughed as she murmured, "Enjoy your freedom, my friends."

Sliding the shudder open, Arianna dashed outside the kitchen and nearly collided with the half-drenched Madam Lilianne. Before Arianna could dodge to the side, the large woman held Arianna by her shoulders.

"Now I've got you, you little rat." She declared triumphantly with a smile.

Arianna grinned as well, "Do you really think so?"

Right after Arianna spoke; a swarm of large filthy black rats came scampering out from under the kitchen door causing Madam to release the girl while backing away and screaming with fright. Arianna then turned and ran up the stairs. She then heard a loud succession of screeches on her way up and she laughed coyly hoping that one of those rats would jump down Luli's throat. _Those rats certainly turned out useful after all. _She said to herself thinking back to a few days before when the cook told that he kept the rats he caught in a cupboard and would burn all of them when the cage was full.

Once Arianna got up to the room she was currently sharing with the governess's daughters, she slammed the door shut and looking around, spotted an old wooden chair. Arianna grabbed it and propped it against the door handle so as to make the door impossible for entry. Then, she struggled to strip off the arduous garment that she was wearing…but to no avail. Groaning frustrated, she mustered all her strength and managed to tear the dress off. After which, she removed her constricted footwear and tossed them aside. She breathed a sigh of relief as she slowly pressed her aching toes to ease them. Suddenly, she heard a faint scuffling outside the door and she remembered the rats. So, thinking quickly, she crammed the velvet gown into the crack under the door before any of the pesky rodents could get a chance to enter the room.

Then she heard some commotion outside, hoping it wasn't any of the occupants in the house, Arianna looked out of the window. She instead saw a tall man who was dressed splendidly in festive garments marching down the road proclaiming in his loud baritone voice, "The Archery contest! The Archery contest is about to begin! All lads and lords willing to participate, proceed to the main tent to be registered! Only fifty silver pieces for registration! I repeat! The Archery contest is about to begin! Go now in haste to the archery field!"

Arianna took a deep breath and smiled excitedly, what she was about to do was probably the most dangerous and most adventurous thing she had ever done in her life.

"My victory awaits!" she said enthusiastically and she immediately opened her trunk, took out her hunting gear and hastily put on her hunting garments. Glancing at her reflection in a long looking glass on the wall, she gasped when she noticed that her long scarlet hair was still unkempt and in a disarray. Snatching Luli's brush from her dresser, Arianna quickly fixed up her disheveled hair and after she had braided it and rolled it up in a clean and swift manner, she picked up her hunting cap and tucked her hair securely underneath it. Taking a second look at herself, she smiled satisfactorily; she made a pretty good impersonation of a local farm boy. With her slightly faded and tattered hunting clothes, worn brown boots and an old bow and quiver, she could definitely make a fool out of the whole town, if no one had any second thoughts about her slightly obvious feminine features.

"Arianna! Where is the wretched girl? Arianna!"

"She's in the room Mother!"

Arianna turned and saw the doorknob being shaken forcibly. She had to find a way to get out of the room at once but the only chance of escape was through the window. Arianna peeked out and realized that it was a short way off from the ground though she wouldn't mind a soft landing.

The loud heated voices from the opposite side of the door urged Arianna to make a final decision. Seeing as she had no other options, Arianna had to use the window, looking around again she spotted the mattress she had used as a bed near her heels, so without any hesitation, she pulled it up and flung it out the window, it landed perfectly on the hard ground.

Shouldering her bow and quiver, she caught sight of a pair of matches on the floor. Smiling suddenly, she grabbed them. At the same time, the chair gave way and the door was flung wide open. Standing by the doorway were Madam Lilianne and the other girls looking positively tousled and infuriated from head to toe.

"Don't you dare make any drastic move there, peasant girl!" Madam roared.

Arianna smirked back sympathetically, " Oh Madam, I terribly apologize for my hasty departure but I'm afraid there is nothing more you can teach me. So, may the gods guard you till I return… oh, I mean, if I ever return. Or if I never return… hmmm."

The women made ready to charge inside but stopped abruptly when Arianna held up the already lit match.

"Your house, Madam, has certainly ignited a lot of warm feeling in me. Farewell!" Arianna waved before flicking the match towards Luli's bed and leaping out of the window.

As Arianna landed safely though a little painfully on the soft mattress, she heard another bout of screams from the window above. Looking up she saw the bright color of flames dancing about the room. Laughing lightly, she stood up and dusted herself off but then had a deep feeling that someone was watching her. Turning around, she came face to face with a small boy who was looking at her with plain shock on his face.

Arianna tilted her hat to him and said cheerily, "Good day there, boy!"

After which, she walked hurriedly away from the little child before anyone else could notice her.

_Well, that was certainly invigorating, _she thought to herself with a smile, _now, the time for my glory and fame has come!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"_**Archery Contest"**_

When Arianna had reached the archery field she was slightly astounded at the large crowd that was present. Taking a deep breath, praying that she had reached the archery contest in time, she started looking around for the main tent. Several people brushed roughly past her as she tried to make her way towards large yellow canopy where ran an extremely long line of men and lads of different ages, status and skills. Sighing with relief, Arianna pushed her way until she made it at the end of a line. Tipping her hunting cap a little so as to cast a shadow over her face thus making it impossible for anyone to recognize her feminine features. The line moved along in a slow pace and Arianna was growing more anxious with every step, her stomach whirled in a crazy way and her fingers felt cold and numb. Looking over to the right field, she watched the men prepare for the contest by either stringing their bows, practicing their aim with an arrow or just holding on to their bow to get accustomed to the weight and to know how much force should be applied when stringing an arrow. Arianna stood enthralled at the way these men handled their weapons with such ease and confidence and she wondered if her skill could somehow be equal with theirs.

"Next! Who's next? You there, lad! Come forward!"

"Oh…"

Arianna jerked when she realized it was her who was being called. She approached the table underneath the large yellow canopy where a large man was sitting on; his table was littered with a lot of parchment along with a few quills and inkbottles. Accompanying him was a tall thin man standing behind also armed with a quill and a parchment. The large man wore brightly well-made garments indicating that he was a man of high stature and wealth while the tall one behind wore clothes with a slightly shabbier appearance but not less festive. Both men had intelligent as well as jovial expressions but the lean man looked more modest.

"Name?" the large man asked bending down over a parchment.

"Aria- uh… I mean…" Arianna paused quickly, covering her mouth, realizing that she had almost said her full name, which could have terribly given her away.

The portly man looked up while the lanky one stared curiously at her.

Clearing her throat, Arianna stood up straighter and replied in a deeper voice, "Ari, milord. I am called Ari."

Nodding slightly, the man sitting down scratched his quill briskly unto the parchment.

"Age?"

"Fifteen years, milord."

"And where do you come from lad?" he asked looking back up at Arianna.

"From the fields milord. Just on the outskirts of Vasdenin."

The stout man looked confused and irritated.

The tall man leaned closer to his companion, "He means the Lilolya fields, Lord Freso. The ones just before Vasdenin's forest."

The chubby man nodded understandingly, as he continued making certain notes on his parchment, he asked, "So, you're a farmer's lad then?"

"Yes, milord." Arianna answered.

Lord Freso glanced shortly at Arianna's bow, "First time with the bow and arrows?"

Shaking her head, Arianna responded, " No milord. I have been practicing my skill with it since I was ten winters old."

The man nodded nonchalantly and continued writing.

The tall one held out his hand, "You're payment for the registration, boy."

Arianna smiled vaguely as she reached into her hunting vest, _Thank the gods I found out where Madam Lilianne was keeping all her money,_ then she took out a small pouch heavy with silver coins, dropping it heftily into the lanky man's hand.

Nodding approvingly, the lanky man made some notes on his own parchment and dropped the small pouch in a large sack behind him, where apparently all the funds collected were in.

"That's all for you lad. Proceed to the starting point, now, go on." Lord Freso muttered waving his hand in an impatient manner, gesturing Arianna to leave.

Arianna turned right and was about to head over to where the other men were preparing for the contest when the large man called out, "Lad! Where do you think you're off to?"

Arianna whirled around with a confused expression, "Pardon me, milord?"

"You compete with the other young lads first before taking on the men, my lad. Now run along now." He replied with a soft chuckle.

"But, when do I get the chance to do contest with the other men, milord?" Arianna asked, straining to keep her voice low and boyish.

The man chuckled again, "When you've beaten all the other lads and make it to the top three contenders. Off with you now, you've lingered here long enough."

Arianna jogged briskly away from the canopy and headed towards the left field where she found herself among a number of boys around her age, some hardly bothering to warm up. Arianna calculated that there might be more or less twenty young men in the archery field. Then, she suddenly recognized a small group of boys nearby as the boys she had seen the day she arrived in town. She especially noted the extremely boastful boy who was still vivaciously bragging about his improved archery skill.

"Father says that if I shall emerge as the victor of this meager tournament, which you all know that I shall, he vowed to give me my own war stallion. There can be no doubt of my chance in winning this contest, I've practiced nearly five hours each day and due to my patience and hard endurance, it isn't impossible for me to win."

Arianna rolled her eyes and started looking for a vacant spot, because she had just arrived quite late, nearly all the starting spaces had been occupied, all except for one and that was right next to the proud, high and mighty archer.

Groaning disappointedly, she cursed under her breath as she headed towards the small group. Ignoring the ongoing ranting of the boy, who, she had heard from one of his companions, was named Uther.

Arianna drew her bow from her back and set down her quiver to inspect her arrows, a few of their feathers were a bit battered but after she had straightened them sharply with her fingers they returned to their original form. Then, Arianna began some warm up exercises such as stringing an arrow to her bow while she was also practicing the proper stance of an archer when about to release. While she was focusing the arrow to the target so she could get the familiar feel of the bow, she heard a tacky voice behind her.

"Well, well. See what the farm mouse has dragged in. A little peasant boy trying to aim his little bow and arrow at the big manly target! What do you think you're trying to accomplish here? A few more sacks of muck for your swine?"

She glanced sideways and saw that the group of young men beside her had finally turned their attention to someone else, unfortunately, that someone was her. Uther stood in front of them with his arms crossed smugly as he smirked at her while his friends laughed obnoxiously. Arianna ignored them and tried to focus her aim on the target. But, a few moments later when their laughter had died down, she felt a rough hand push her forcefully to the ground. Arianna stumbled but she kept her head down and tipped her hat lower.

"Answer me you peasant scum! Why aren't you in your filthy fields cleaning up after your cattle? Do you actually think you can compete against me? Pigs like you are best left slaughtered and boiled than to even dare be among us noblemen! Ha! You couldn't hit anything within two paces from your hideous nose!"

Still Arianna kept silent under his fiery glare.

_I see he's finished boasting. Now, he just wants to look important by picking on a peasant like me._

His friends laughed all the more. Calmly, she stood up and faced him, her face was in the shadow of her hat but even Uther's companions had not failed to see the menacing glint in her light brown eyes.

"A bold thing to say for a boy who couldn't even take down a close ranged sparrow." She stated coldly in her feigned deep tone.

Before the young lad could retort, glorious trumpets blasted in a distance. All heads turned towards a small platform to their left where two trumpeters stood on each side of the tall thin man Arianna saw a while ago. The man held up his hands for silence.

"The Archery contest will now begin! Archers! Take your places immediately!" he bellowed.

All the young men hurried to the starting line and quickly strung an arrow to their bows. Arianna was already standing fully prepared to take the first shot.

"Now, before you young lads begin, I am obliged to explain the procedure of this contest, so listen closely and bear it submissively into your minds the words I am about to say."

He looked around thoughtfully before beginning, "This contest has a total of ten rounds. But more rounds will be added if conditions call for it. The target at the moment is approximately ten yards away. After each round, the target that you see before you will be taken five yards farther until there are only three contenders left. Only the holders of the arrows that hit the center mark will proceed to the following round. The three challengers will be generously rewarded and must return on the eve of the festival for the final Archery contest where they are to compete against the other victors in the hunter's group. The Final Archery contest is to be witnessed by the high council, the townsfolk of the seven Northern lands and the mystical monarchs from the East as well. So, young lads, may the grace of the gods bring luck to your arrows. Let the Archery contest begin!"

The trumpets sounded again and the spectators all around applauded with fervor. Another man stepped up to the platform.

"Archers! To the mark!"

Arianna took a deep breath and placed a foot firmly forward. She heard the soft snicker of Uther behind but she paid no heed to it.

"Take your aim!"

Her heart thundered in her chest and her hands quivered with excitement as she held up her bow and took careful aim at the bull's eye. Steadying her arms, she stretched the string as far as she could, checking the force and tension.

After what seemed like an eternity, the announcer commanded,

"Fire!"

Arianna released and as her bow sang, so did the others and there was a tremendous whoosh of arrows flying through the air, and after a second there came the succeeding thud of the arrows on the round target. The spectators all around hollered with approval and there was a loud sound of applause. Only fifteen had made their arrows straight to the bull's eye. As some of the archers groaned and muttered furiously at their missed shot, Arianna let down her bow and sighed in relief, she hadn't lost her touch. She smiled proudly as she saw her green tipped feathered arrow inside the deep red circle. But her smile quickly vanished when she discerned Uther slipping another arrow in his bow.

He frowned as well when he saw that the peasant hadn't moved away from the line signifying that he had passed the first round. Two of his friends had already been eliminated and he didn't want to be left standing beside this field boy.

Arianna disregarded him for a moment, she still had nine more rounds to face and this was not a time to be distracted from her target. She took another deep breath as she watched two men move the large black and red target farther away. Calming herself, she took another arrow out of her quiver, performed the positioned stance and waited for the barker's command.

"To the mark! Aim and… Fire!"

Another wave of arrows surged by and this time only twelve arrows had found their mark. Arianna breathed slowly and cursed under her breath, Uther's arrow had nearly knocked hers out of range in midair, though, praise the gods, it hadn't.

"Ha! Well, it seems this little peasant mouse has got a fight in him after all," Uther sneered and Arianna glanced sideways at him, "But, mark me you piece of vermin, you won't last till the last round."

"We shall see to that soon enough." Arianna replied and Uther stood agape at his opponent's cool reply.

Soon, as a dozen more arrows were released and the mark moved farther and farther away, Arianna felt the rounds pass by her in a foggy daze, until finally, only five young archers, two of them were Uther and Arianna, were left on the Archery field.

Just then, the thin man that announced the prospects of the contest earlier was back atop the platform. Everyone looked to him in shock and curiosity.

"For a surprise treat, the council has added a new obstacle to the final round. To achieve victory, the remaining archers must be able to land their arrows within the red target at a distance of fifty yards… blindfolded."

Loud gasps and wide eyes transpired all about at the final word of the lanky man. Arianna felt her jaw drop slightly and her blood grow cold at this proclamation.

"Ha! Let's see you achieve this task, blind mouse!" she heard Uther hiss.

The loud buzzing of the spectators and the archers ceased as the lanky man raised his hands high with utmost authority.

"Silence! Let the contest recommence!"

There seemed to be a strange thick tension in the air on this exhilarating final round as strips of cloth were handed to each of the archers, and the roaring crowd that looked on was now as silent as a grave. The late afternoon sun was bearing down on the five young archers as they slipped their last arrow into their bows after tying their blindfolds on their brow.

A bead of sweat trickled down Arianna's brow, she absently wiped it away and she shaded her eyes from the glare of the sun and squinted at the target that was now fifty yards away. From what Arianna could recall, the farthest target she had ever hit in her life was exactly fifty yards away and at that time both her eyes were open in broad daylight her arrow had barely reached the target.

_But that won't happen today, _Arianna thought to herself determinedly.

Even Uther was silent and focused seriously on the distant target. His arm trembling slightly as he tightly gripped his bow. The three other archers were displaying signs of extreme apprehension as well. Arianna then turned her eyes to the announcer who seemed to be enjoying the silent pangs of suspense and excitement in the atmosphere.

"Blindfolds on!"

Arianna took a final glance at the secluded target before pulling down her blindfold and shrouding her eyes in darkness.

"Take your aim!"

The young men and Arianna lifted their bows but instead of aiming for the faraway target they all focused the tip of their arrows to the sky. Arianna quivered for an instant but immediately regained her steady hand. Her mind mentally calculating, estimating… remembering the direction her arrow would take, the force to be released through it and the accuracy of it. The crowd watched with bated breath as the blind archers stood poised and ready for the final release.

_Gods, oh gods, give me the sight to see the destination of my goal. Guide my arm, my aim, and my arrow…_

"Be prepared…"

_By the almighty grace of Kannaham, I beg you to show me the light…_

Arianna strained to hear the final command to unleash her arrow… then she felt herself giving a command in her mind,

_Show me the light NOW!_

At that moment, Arianna felt a strange presence empower her body and instantly her sight was restored to her. Though her eyes were behind the thick cloth of the blindfold, she could visibly see the arrow before her and the target faraway. She saw everything and more through the hazy purplish environment. She heard a distant murmuring of a strange voice and a low growl. But before Arianna could recover or understand the shock of her perplexing and bizarre condition, the announcer bellowed.

"FIRE!"

That single word echoed through the entire field and it rang in Arianna's ears as she released and watched the flight of all five arrows. Everyone heard the faint whoosh and the dull thud of the arrows on the thick wood of the target circle. Arianna snatched the blindfold from her eyes to see if her aim was true. She was astonished when her purplish vision and the unusual noises vanished when the blindfold was taken off leaving her sight as normal as before.

She took a momentary look at Uther who also had his own blindfold in his hand. His gaze was directed forward. Since the target was already too far for the normal eye to see which arrows were which. A runner was sent to the circle to shout out the color of the arrows in the circle.

Arianna stared anxiously after him as well. The runner turned around to face the crowd and the archers.

"There are three arrows in the red circle of the target!" he proclaimed in sheer disbelief.

The crowd cheered and begged to know which arrows had made it.

"The arrows are… The red arrow of Efro from Gnath…"

The young boy on Arianna's right jumped for joy and shouted with glee as the crowd applauded wildly.

"Black arrow of Uther from Val Hall…"

Uther smiled victoriously, "Time to say farewell, peasant mouse!"

"Do not be so confident. There is still one arrow left." Another boy nearby stated as he clutched his own blindfold.

Arianna held her breath and felt as if there could be a possibility that Uther was right, that amid her strange experience, her effort and her hopes were in vain.

"And, finally… by the gods! This arrow hit the dead center of the target! The last arrow is…"

_Oh gods, please…_

"The Green feathered arrow of Ari from the Lilolya fields!"

Arianna stood rigid with shock as the deafening yells of the large crowd pouring out from the sidelines filled her ears. Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled roughly in to the arms and hands of countless strangers who were glowing joyously while they patted Arianna's back and tried to ruffle her head. Arianna smiled surprisingly and awkwardly trying to keep her hat on and head down whilst people offered many compliments and praise to her skill and talent. After a few moments, Arianna nodded to them in gratitude and forced her way out of the crowd. When she was finally able to catch her breath, she watched as the crowd went to congratulate the other winners and later on dispersed into small groups chattering animatedly about the contest. It was a miracle they didn't stop to recognize that she wasn't a brilliant young lad instead she was just an ordinary farm lass engaging in taboo activities.

Arianna's gaze wandered back to the target, and there situated in the heart of the target was her own green-feathered arrow. The after effects of the contest finally took over her and she was utterly overwhelmed by it. Beaming proudly, she shouldered her empty quiver and her bow.

_Now, all I need to worry about is the second Archery contest tomorrow night._

Arianna had never tried shooting a target in the darkness of the night but then again if she could shoot an arrow straight to its target blindfolded then maybe the archery contest the following night wouldn't be that difficult.

Thinking about it all, she remembered her peculiar vision. What had come over her?

_Had I cheated? _She asked herself worriedly.

_But it couldn't be, I did have that blindfold on me, didn't I? Unless, I did invoke a god within me… _Arianna shook her head; it was crazy to think that she had for a moment been like a god since she wasn't exactly pious or a very religious person. She just treated the gods with utmost respect like everyone did, nothing more and nothing less. Yet, she did feel like a god. The thought of it sent shivers down her spine and she struggled to dismiss it from her thoughts.

Just then, she felt a tinge of heat on her forearm and when she held up her arm she gasped with horror. There it was again, the glowing red star, exactly as she saw it less than a week ago except with less pain. Then, just as it did before, it vanished as quickly as it came. Arianna wasn't too taken aback by it this time; she just stood there in sheer confusion

_What could all this mean? If only grandfather were here…_

Looking up, most of the crowd had gone and only a few were left on the archery field. She spotted Uther laughing aloud while a large man clothed in black and silver stood behind him, glowing with pride. An emaciated looking woman dressed elegantly in lavender silk was also smiling though a little weakly as she listened patiently to Uther's narcissistic bragging.

Though normally Arianna would have turned away and ignored him, she found herself staring longingly at him. Despite the fact that Uther was a conceited, high and mighty brat, at least he had parents to support and grant his every desire, to listen to all his ideas, to celebrate his victories, to comfort him, to love him… whereas she had no one, not even her grandfather at this crucial stage of her life. She envied him for that.

Uther caught Arianna's gaze and as Arianna glanced quickly away, he approached her haughtily, "Well done peasant. Your unfortunate luck has increased your rank from a peasant mouse to a peasant rat."

Arianna lowered her head in a mocking bow, "Congratulations to you as well, Uther of Val Hall."

Uther's mouth tightened with anger, "You may have won the contest for now, peasant boy, but the challenge that you will soon face will surely make one and all certify who the rightful victor is. That victor will be me."

"I also wish you the very best of luck tomorrow night, my friend." Arianna answered sarcastically.

Uther brushed past her roughly with a deep frown on his face but just as he did Arianna said aloud in her deep tone, "As for the deciding of the victor, let me help you recall what I had said earlier."

Turning his head, he snapped, "And what was that?"

Smirking slightly, Arianna replied, "We shall see to that soon enough."

With an irritated huff, Uther walked away leaving Arianna smiling satisfactorily.

The sun had completely set and the last of its rays were fading beyond the horizon, the dark blue blanket of night was slowly covering the sky and a handful of stars were already twinkling above.

Out of the blue, Arianna felt a warm hand on her shoulder, turning around she came face to face with Lord Freso.

"Well done lad, that was an extraordinary shot you made back there. Not even the men were able to directly hit the center of the target. The gods must really favor you." Said the large lord.

"Thank you milord. You are very kind." Arianna answered.

The man looked around, "No one here to witness your amazing accomplishment lad?"

Arianna shook her head slowly, "No milord, it is only I."

He nodded, "I see. An orphan, are you?"

Arianna nodded.

"Well, they say the gods always favor the least among all of us and I can see why they would."

Arianna looked up curiously at this man who seemed particularly benevolent with her. Lord Freso seemed to understand that certain look.

"Ah, I see what you must be thinking. Why should a big wealthy man like me pay attention to a poor peasant lad such as yourself? Well, lad, here's the truth. I know what it's like to be alone like this. I, too, was an orphan at an early age. Had to live according to my instincts, I did. Now, see where I am now."

Arianna said nothing and Lord Freso placed both his hands on Arianna's shoulders and looked at her closely. Arianna's heart pounded wildly in her, fearing that his close gaze on her might give out her true identity. But instead he continued.

"What I'm trying to say lad is you got a lot of potential and a great skill. Use that to your advantage and you'll someday be as successful as I am. Don't waste it lad. Also, I have a little something to give you."

From inside his coat, he took out a small pouch that was heavy with coins. Arianna's eyes widened and she stepped back.

"But my lord, I can't possibly—I couldn't… it's—your…" Arianna stammered in protest.

"Thirty gold pieces." Lord Freso announced and without warning, he took Arianna's hand and enclosed the pouch into it. Before Arianna could reply, the large man stated seriously, "Take it Ari, my lad. Don't be frightened. Think of it as a gift…"

"A gift I have to refuse to take, my lord." Arianna said.

"Then as a prize then. A prize that you've earned well because you deserve it, you are worthy of it."

Arianna's eyes shimmered in the starlight, "Thank you, milord."

Lord Freso smiled warmly, "The least I can do for a poor lad like you Ari. So, I propose you get a good meal, a good night's sleep and tomorrow, if the gods allow it, you might just come out the greatest of all archers in Vasdenin. Farewell, Ari of Lilolya, may the gods guide and watch over you tonight. Have a pleasant night."

"And you too my lord." Arianna replied hoarsely as she watched the large lord walk away leaving her still standing with the bag of money clutched in the palm of her hand.

_Thirty gold pieces _Arianna thought happily as she held the bag _May the gods bless that man!_

Then, still smiling merrily, she wandered to the road where lanterns and candles were starting to light up the dark lane. Looking left and right, Arianna wondered if she should head back to Madam Lilianne. Then, shaking her head she laughed. She wasn't that crazy to do something like that. _Now… where was that large tavern?_

­­


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"_**The Golden Eagle Inn"**_

Walking casually down the dusty lane of Vasdenin, Arianna eyes wandered all around, taking in the beginning nightlife of the town. Women called out for their children so as to begin their supper and men were either trudging towards their homes or walking gaily towards the local tavern in the chilly spring night. Arianna was careful not to follow the path leading to Madam Lilianne's house, instead she made a shortcut through some of the other house's back lots until she felt that she had surpassed her governess's home. She then followed some men who she knew were heading to the large tavern. Finally, she stopped and looked up at the familiar edifice.

Before her arose a large wooden structure bearing a lot of windows that hardly concealed the activities occurring within. It appeared to have been there for many a year since the wooden boards that made up the tavern were rotting with age and the innkeeper had hardly any time to bother worrying about it since the festival had had him caught up in countless matters that he simply put it off to a better time. A large sign hung above the door encrypted with a symbol of a flashing red and gold eagle, and though Arianna could hardly read, she was able to make out the words, _The Golden Eagle Inn, _which was such an ironic name for a tavern that had hardly anything gold to display, save for the gold coins sagging inside the innkeeper's pockets, which were almost always well hidden.

As Arianna shifted her gaze to the open door, she felt a nervous inkling deep within her. The sounds of boisterous laughter and speech amidst the lightly festive music and songs playing in the background shook her deep inside. From the loud conversations, she thought she heard the mentioning of a familiar name, or was she just imagining it was her name in the course of the riotous conversations of the men and the shrill laughter of the women. She shivered with agitation.

_Ugh! What's wrong with me? This isn't the hour to turn back! I can't return to that horrid hell house, not after what I've done but I can't go back to the fields right now either. I have to go in or else take refuge in a barn or stable nearby…_

Just then, she heard a loud grumble deep inside her and pressing her hands to her stomach, she groaned.

_I really should have eaten something before hastily leaving Madam's home earlier… I must have some supper now before I pass out or starve to death._

Arianna looked up at the sign again and she felt the heavy weight of the gold in her pocket, thinking only of a good meal and a soft bed to rest in. Then, after taking a deep breath, she decided that she had nowhere else to go except inside.

A merry and frenzied sight greeted her as she entered the large inn. She immediately felt the warm atmosphere easing her chilled hands and Arianna smiled as she surveyed the inn with her excited light brown eyes. A number of tables, long and rectangular or wide and round, were scattered about the place at random and all types of people occupied nearly all of them. Present, of course, were the Vasdenin men, mostly composed of the local hunters who occupied at least four to five tables, engaging in a lively conversation concerning the day's exciting events and a successful hunting quest. Most of the hunters were either young vigorous bachelors or middle-aged widowers enjoying the company of their fellowmen and a few scantily clad women over jugs of ale and wine. They preferred to eat their own game rather than indulge in any other appetizing meal, so if they ever caught anything worth devouring, then they would have the innkeeper's cooks roast it over a large fire and serve it to them fresh from the spit. On this particular night, they were feasting on a few well-sized birds and a small wild boar.

Occupying a table nearby were some of Vasdenin's high-ranking men conversing with the visiting superiors from the other Northern Lands. In this noble group, Arianna immediately recognized Lord Freso and his thin accomplice sitting side-by-side laughing jovially. Beside them was the town's leader who was gulping down a large mug of ale, Arianna hoped his wife wasn't around then, laughing silently, she remembered the little accident she made in Madam's house a few hours ago. She then also spotted Uther's father among the nobleman and she cringed when she thought about what a brat his son was. Though the occupants of this table were of the upper class, this didn't imply that they weren't as loud and as boisterous as the other men inside. Already satiated with barrels of wine and lusty entertainment, the noblemen immediately forgot themselves as they sang, danced and laughed in their drunken state ordering more and more ale by the minute. Their table was littered with scraps of mutton, pork and wild geese. Their pots of vegetables and their bowls of fruit lay on the floor, forgotten.

Arianna noticed several other groups of men around; some reacting similarly with the hunters and the noblemen while others kept to themselves, murmured in low whispers underneath the hoods of their dark cloaks or else looked towards the center of the room where a musical entertainment was being held.

Focusing her eyes towards the center as well, Arianna was entranced by the playful and lively show playing in front of the large fiery fireplace. A lean man strumming gaily on a wooden lute was singing, in his sweet soothing yet animated tone, a humorous song about women in spring whilst his fellows, each playing a flute, a small pipe and a tambour, accompanied him. His audience laughed and toasted to him after every comical verse and he bowed graciously before skipping lightly and moving unto the next canto. It was a favored song among the men during spring and they never tired out the familiar tune since there were newer and even better lyrics year after year. The melody stayed the same but the words sung with it varied. Arianna blushed crimson when she finally understood the hidden meaning behind the lute player's flowery words.

_Hmm… so this is what men dream about during the dawn of spring… how… utterly repulsive…_

Moving as far away as she could from the entertainers, she looked around for the innkeeper. Behind a wooden counter near the doorway, she spotted a hefty sized man with a rough short black beard barking orders to some young boys who were scampering about bearing jugs of ale or platters of meat in their arms. The man wore a soiled apron over his large belly and as he barked his last order, he turned around to find a peasant boy standing before him with his hat pulled over his eyes and a wooden bow and quiver draped around his shoulders. The innkeeper's small beady black eyes opened in surprise and annoyance.

"Well? What do you want?" he growled in a deep voice.

"Just to inquire about your inn, sir, does it provides suitable lodgings for a lad such as myself." The peasant replied in a soft low voice.

The man bent down closer, "Speak up boy! Can scarcely hear with all this din!"

"Does your inn provide lodging, sir?" answered the boy in a much louder tone.

The innkeeper straightened up and huffed, "Of course it provides lodgings boy! Didn't you read the sign up front? 'The Golden Eagle Inn, best meal and bed in all of Vasdenin'. See?"

Dragging Arianna by the arm outside, he pointed up at the large sign with the bright golden eagle on it.

Arianna squinted and realized she had missed that part due to her haste in entering.

"Blind scallywag…" muttered the innkeeper.

Marching back inside the innkeeper ignored her and turned his attention back to his servant boys. Arianna, furious enough by the sharp insult of the man, pulled on his shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir, but I'm afraid we haven't finished our conversation." She stated hotly.

The black bearded man turned about, his eyes blazing, "Haven't finished our conversation, have we? Well, I, boy am certainly finished with you!"

Grabbing Arianna by the back collar, he was on the verge of throwing her outside but just then Arianna held up a gleaming bright gold coin. The beady dark eyes of the innkeeper grew wide with surprise and greed.

"Well, now, what's that ya got there, boy?" he asked in a soft tone gently putting the peasant back down.

Arianna smirked. But the bearded man frowned slightly, "Stolen it, have ya?"

Shaking her head no, Arianna answered, "If you haven't heard yet, sir, it would be my pleasure to inform you that you are facing one of the victors of today's archery tournament."

The man stepped back with amazement, " You? The peasant boy from the fields? The boy who shot a bull's-eye at fifty paces, blindfolded?"

Arianna bowed with acknowledgement, "Yes, sir, I am that… err… boy."

Placing the gold coin atop the innkeeper's desk, she stated in her feigned voice, "I would be glad to have a decent meal for the night as well as a suitable room to retire in so as I can be soundly fit for tomorrow night's event."

Crossing his arms, the innkeeper raised his thick black eyebrows with a knowing glance, "Humph! Supper and lodging, ya say? Well, now, you can see that I'm a busy man and the tavern's been filling with customers here and there… not so sure if I could spare the time for even a nice, brilliant boy such as yourself, of course…"

Arianna saw the glint in his eyes and she understood his hint, reaching into the pouch inside her hunting top, she pulled out a handful of coins. The innkeeper's eyes widened even more at the sight of the wealth this mysterious boy held in his hand.

Dropping two more coins alongside the first one, the man growled reluctantly when she returned the others into her pouch.

"Will that be enough for you, sir?" Arianna asked.

Taking one of the coins and testing its authenticity with his teeth, he suddenly grinned a toothy grin and said in an entirely different tone that he used before, it was a sickening sweet kindly tone, "Might I ask your name boy?"

"I am called Ari and I would be glad if you address me as that only."

"Well, then, Master Ari. Welcome to the Golden Eagle Inn." The innkeeper bowed, "I am Barley, the innkeeper. Now, let me call one of my boys to show you to your room. Would you prefer to have your meal there or here at the common room?"

Arianna looked over his shoulder and replied, "It would be intolerably lonely up in the room by myself so I believe I would be more comfortable to take my meal down here, if you please, sir."

"Of course. Now, take a seat anywhere young master and I will bring your meal to you in a moment." The innkeeper said kindly and he turned towards the door, barking orders.

Arianna took a seat at a vacant table close to where a few hunters were gathered. She surveyed the room and noticed that during her conversation with the landlord, the entertainment had ended, to her relief and the men around were either reclining on their chairs smoking their after- supper pipe or else being led away upstairs by their women.

A few moments later, Arianna caught sight of Barley himself, carrying some large plates and saucers where she supposed her supper were on.

"Here you go, young master Ari. Here is a fine meal for a fine lad at a fine price, don't you think?" At this he chuckled lightly as he set the platters down before Arianna, "Enjoy your meal then, young master."

Arianna's eyes nearly burst forth from its sockets as she laid her eyes on the small banquet set before her. It was more food than she had ever had to herself in her entire life. Even two months of her usual food could hardly measure up to what she had at that moment. Thick slabs of juicy wild pork and a leg of mutton with a side dish of small green peas and sliced potatoes were on the largest plate. On a saucer lay two loaves of white bread and a thick steaming beef stew was placed in a small wooden bowl near her. She also had a moderate sized mug, filled to the brim with foamy ale. Arianna had never tasted ale before but she did not hesitate to down a few mouthfuls of the bitter brew. She savored the warm sensation that traveled from her throat to the pit of her stomach. Licking her lips, she turned her attention towards her little feast. After giving a little thanks to the gods, she plunged ravenously into it, biting a large chunk of the mutton leg, chewing hurriedly on a white loaf and shoving peas and carrots down her throat and washing it all through with a long cautious sip of hot stew.

Heaving a sigh of relief and contentment, Arianna continued her dining at a slower pace, savoring every bite. After she had silenced the growling hunger in her stomach, she was once again listening to the various sounds and noise of the occupants of the Golden Eagle Inn. So it was that Arianna overheard some very interesting tidings, at the next table, during the hunters' repose.

"Bracker, May I ask again what you were attempting to inform us about a little while ago?" an old hunter asked as he refilled his pipe.

Bracker, a younger man, looked up at him and answered, "I, attempting to inform? Hmmm… the ale must have gone instantaneously to my head for I cannot recall what you portend, my friend Nithen?"

"I suppose, what he means, my brother Bracker, is the mythical tale about that golden bird that's said to be soaring about the Northern Land recently. You have certain information about it, don't you?" Another older hunter replied.

"Ah, yes." Bracker replied sitting up straighter with a thoughtful expression, "A cousin of mine from Jovelin dispatched to me, a rather curious yet interesting letter, yesterday. There seems to be an odd creature flying over the other Northern towns since a little over a week ago. This tale, my friends, is no mere myth."

The men around his table grew interested and leaned closer to him.

"Well, tell us about it."

"Yes, Tell us!"

The hunter called Bracker held up his hands for silence and leaned forward and said in a hushed voice, "Now, I don't intend to say that every word I tell you is entirely factual but nevertheless, here it is."

He leaned closer to his audience, "Now, this bird is not just any old bird, this one is a shining golden phoenix."

"Phoenix you say?" someone asked.

"Indeed, it's true, a golden phoenix that, they say, glitters as bright as gold and diamonds, its eyes are blazing ruby gems and when it sings! Oh!" the man half-stands up with strong emotion, "When it sings, they say, with its high soothing crystal voice, you seem to immediately forget every evil thought you had in you and a strong calming power settles deep inside you. Its songs are so beautiful that they even have the power to cure ailments and sickness of all kinds. Nearly all the hunters that have ever seen or heard of it in the Northern lands are determined to have that bird in their possession. They say it's the most beautiful bird ever to be seen in the whole land."

"And you say, Bracken, that this… phoenix actually exists? Do they have any valid proof of it?" the old hunter named Nithen asked, not entirely convinced.

Bracken nodded vigorously, "Yes, of course! Of course they do! They have its feather!"

"Its feather?" the hunters chorused.

"Yes, my cousin informs me that before they actually caught a glimpse of this magnificent creature, they came across a single gleaming feather lying atop a large rock. My cousin was one of the few men who had seen this feather and he had the honor of actually holding it in the palm of his hand. He says it's as soft as a flower's intricate feathers, as brilliant as the sun and as light as air. And after they had seen the feather, they heard an exquisite voice high above the trees and once they looked up, there it was! The golden phoenix! Oh, if only I had been there to see it! How I envy him so!"

"You say, it's traveling around our Northern lands?" still another fellow hunter asked.

"Yes, I have heard news that the golden phoenix has already been seen in Molinin, Blendin, Cornin and as you know Javelin."

"Then, do you think the golden phoenix could possibly pass by Vasdenin?" a young hunter asked eagerly.

Other hunters started putting in their own idea. "Yes! You tell us that it has been seen in Cornin and that town is our closest neighbor! So, there is certainly a large probability of our chance to see it!"

"And maybe capture it even!"

"Or, if ever the phoenix does fly through Vasdenin, it could be one exceptional prize for the Priceless Gift challenge!"

To this suggestion, there were many agreeable nods and comments.

"Why don't we bring it up to the town head. There he is! Over there still guzzling down his flagon of ale! Now is an excellent time to converse with him. He never says anything worth listening to when he's sober." Bracken laughed, as he stood up.

The hunters voice their agreement and stood up as well, immediately leaving their table and approaching the crowd of drunken noblemen slightly swooning at another table.

Arianna followed them with her soft brown eyes as they headed for the inebriated town head. Her stomach had had its fill of the entire meal, leaving the platters empty and clean, and her head was brimming with the intriguing news. She started musing on what it would be like to capture that bird after, of course, winning the archery tournament. It would certainly make the people of Vasdenin respect her even more. But as she kept thinking, her mind started to whirl, so she called the innkeeper Barley to her.

"I would like to ascend to my room now, if you please, sir." She said rather groggily, the effects of a pint of ale were new to her.

"Very good, Master Ari." Turning around, he changed his demeanor again and yelled brusquely, "Oi! You there! Move your worthless bottom over here and take Master Ari to room three! Come on! Come on! I haven't got all night you piece of scallywag!"

Arianna saw a boy who seemed a few years younger than she was clothed in stained and filthy rags run as quickly as he could on his blackish bare feet. Once he had reached his master, he got cuffed on his head by the mighty hand and nearly fell unto the floor. He trembled terribly and his hand shook as he moved away from the innkeeper and took down a loop of rusty keys from a hook on the wall.

Bowing his head with shame and humility, he said in a barely audible voice, "This way then, Master."

Arianna was moved to pity with this sight and she felt a sting of tears in her eyes but dismissing her overwhelming emotions, she nodded her head and followed the boy, trudging heavily up a wooden staircase to the rightmost side of the tavern. She could hardly hear his small steps as they both ascended the stairs. Once they had reached the top stair unto the second landing, Arianna saw a long corridor with about a dozen doors on each side. Walking gradually behind the servant boy, she cast a momentary look at each of the doors they walked by. She winced as she listened to the strange muffled sounds behind some of them and she walked a little closer to the boy wanting to ask him if he knew what they were but stopped, realizing that it would be entirely better if she didn't know at all. The boy walked as silently and as indifferently as before, it was as if he was deaf and blind to everything around him. Arianna then noticed a dark shade on his back and wondered what it was, her vision seemed blurry so she drew even closer, and when she did, she gasped when she realized it was dried blood and underneath his torn sullied rags were long deep slashes on his small back.

The boy turned his head and he ran forward with horror in his eyes when he saw what Arianna was staring at so closely. His quaking hand was fumbling with the set of keys as he tried to get the right one into the keyhole of the door. Arianna stood a little distance off and looked pitifully at him. When the boy finally got the door open, he pushed it back and bowed his head.

"Your room, Master." He said with a shaky voice.

Arianna walked towards him and after a long look at his brown haired head bowing with misery, she went into the dark room.

The room was a moderate sized one. There were hardly any extravagant furnishings on the wall or around the tall rectangular window and only three small statues of the gods stood atop a miniature desk inside the room. A medium sized bed lay just beside the window and the boy went inside the slightly dim room and he opened the top drawer of the desk where he drew three candlesticks and a match. Lighting all of them, he placed one on the desk, one on a candleholder near the doorway and one another candle holder beside the window. He did this all in a quick silent manner as Arianna watched a few paces from the doorway. He turned back to the door and was making ready to leave.

"Boy." Arianna called as she deposited her bow and empty quiver on the floor and sat heavily on the chair beside the desk, she felt a strange lightness in her head.

"Master?" he answered.

"Come here for a moment." She said slowly.

The boy walked slowly towards her.

"Does he whip you boy?" she asked.

The boy was silent and Arianna repeated her question with more force.

He then nodded and said, "Only because I am unworthy and disobedient, sir."

Arianna leaned back and folded her arms, "That's what he teaches you then, eh?"

He nodded again.

"He shouldn't… he doesn't have the right to manhandle you, young as you are, in such a despicable manner."

"But, sir, they say that I am just a poor worthless boy, they say my parents have left me here because I am so. They tell me that if I'm good and do what I'm told to do, they might not beat me as often as they do."

"And who are they?"

"The older servant boys, sir."

"Take no heed of them, you are far better than the whole lot of them anyway. A boy like you does not deserve to undergo such torment. I can see through your eyes all the pain they must have caused you… and I feel your pain, though I have not yet come to experience it they way you do." Arianna stated thickly, not exactly aware about what she was talking about.

The boy looked up with surprise, "You-you do, sir?"

"Yes," Arianna replied, "That is why, I want to give you this. Hold out your hand boy."

He held out his grimy hand and unto them Arianna bestowed five shining gold pieces. His brown eyes shined with the gleam of it and he opened his mouth with awe. He had never held or owned a gold coin all his life and here he was with five of them on his hand. In all his young forsaken years, he had never felt as happy as that moment. At that moment, he was silent not because he was shamed or degraded but because he did not know the appropriate thing to say to this mysterious, strange but kind and understanding young master. He grasped tightly the coins in his hand and looked up with teary eyes at Arianna.

"M-master."

"No, don't call me master."

The boy knotted his brows in confusion.

Arianna smiled slowly and comprehended the silent puzzlement of this small boy and without warning; she took off her hunting cap and from underneath came her long scarlet hair that was tied in a loose braid spilling unto her back. Loose strands lined her face and her hazy brown eyes twinkled slightly in the candlelight.

The boy stepped back with astonishment and he stuttered, "W-Why! You are no m-master! You are a Lady!"

Arianna laughed merrily in her normal feminine voice and she ruffled his dark brown hair. He smiled back as well, and then Arianna leaned closed to him and placed a long finger to her lips, "Not a word of this to anyone, all right boy? It will just be our little secret."

He nodded and smiled even more broadly; this was the first time he had ever been entrusted with a secret.

"Good! Very good! Now, remember boy, keep that gold well. Ah yes! Soon you will see and be glad! You will soon see a mere peasant girl tower over all the great lords of the land. Yes, soon you will see…"

The boy looked at her in a confused expression again and Arianna laughed again drunkenly.

"But, Mast— I mean…"

Arianna waved her hand, "You can call me Master for now boy. But very soon, you'll be calling me The Lady Arianna. Go! GO now boy! And Good night!"

The boy ran towards the door and turning his head he said with his broad smile, "Good night, Lady Arianna."

Then after shutting the door, Arianna was left in the room staring blankly all around her. The ale was really starting to get to her, she looked at the door and stumbled towards it, clumsily locking it so no one could enter without her knowledge. She then walked dizzily towards the bed. The room seemed to spin around and around… endlessly. Falling unto the edge of her bed, she noticed something bright glimmering on the windowsill. Trying to make her eyes focus, she came closer and closer. To her amazement it was a shining golden feather, and as she picked it up with her hand, it felt just exactly as the hunter had said. Soft as flowers' petals, light as the breeze and brilliant as the noonday sun. But after only a few seconds of holding unto the precious object, she suddenly felt a painful sharp force enter her body and mind. She saw flashes of bright purple and deep black moving back and forth in her mind's eye. She shut her eyes and gasped in pain as she released the feather, falling unconsciously upon the bed. Arianna lay unmoving, lost in pain, full with drink, exhausted with fatigue. The star on her arm was glowing bright red.

The feather slowly drifted downwards and once it had touched the wooden floor, it burst into purple flames and disintegrated into ashes. After it had gone, the wind seemed to shift and the night grew even colder.

A few miles away, Baltook the old farmer awoke with a start on his bed and his body was drenched in sweat…

The thing he had been dreading for fifteen years has finally occurred…

Someone had caught a glimpse of his secret and was now sending something evil his way to put an eternal end to it forever…


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"_**The Dream and the Golden Phoenix"**_

_Arianna was falling rapidly in a deep gulch, purplish red and black swirls encompassed her as she continued to plummet into the unknown. She opened her mouth to scream but not a single sound escaped her lips. She looked below to catch a glimpse of an upcoming landing ground or surface but all she saw were the purple and black swirls circling down into oblivion. Arianna attempted another scream but the voice she heard was not her own. It was a woman's scream, frightened and helpless. Then, the rushing air that filled her ears turned into strange whispers that sounded distant but clear. For a moment, Arianna thought she recognized the voices that were murmuring even more loudly like a distant memory coming back to life,_

"_Transform now!"_

"_Take care of her…"_

"_Fly swiftly. Don't turn back." _

_Then the gentle voices suddenly became low, gruesome and sinister sounding,_

"_Her powers have awakened, your Majesty!"_

"_She is in Vasdenin!"_

"_Your knights will take the town before the next night ends!"_

_After which, as if the speaker was right behind her, Arianna heard a soft chilling whisper in her ears_

"_Bring her back to me…ALIVE!"_

_Just before Arianna could react, her feet touched something solid and she crumpled unto the dry dusty ground. Glancing upward, she noticed that the purplish swirls had disappeared and the sky above her was gloomy, gray and dark. The, she saw something glittering moving towards her, and as it drew nearer, Arianna recognized it as the golden phoenix. She stood and stretched her hands to catch it but then pulled them back with an alarmed cry. The phoenix had morphed into a swarm of hideous black crows that cawed so viciously. Arianna stopped her ears with her hands and tried to shield her head with her arms as the horde of crows swooped over her head. When she felt that the vile flock had passed on and their caws faded away, she looked out from under her arms. _

_Rising before her eyes was a huge steep mountain and at the peak of it was a large grim looking black castle. There were no signs of life all around her and the wind that blew was raw and harsh. Then, the purplish haze came back in the form of a thick fog that quickly trapped Arianna within. Arianna looked about her and she could see nothing else beyond the fog. Her heart was beating anxiously and she started to run. But as she did, she felt her pace slow down and she moved in a lethargic pace. Arianna then heard light footsteps behind her and she knew she wasn't alone. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she could see three figures running towards her. Getting even more frightened, Arianna tried to increase her speed but then the footsteps disappeared and when Arianna looked back again, the dark figures were gone. Arianna stopped to catch her breath but just then somewhere in the obscure fog, Arianna heard a low growl. Her heart jumped when she looked before her, something extremely humongous was making its way towards her. She was frozen to the ground as it slowly approached. The purplish mists thinned slightly and she was able to see that the huge figure was a lion. It suddenly paused a few meters away from her and Arianna gasped in terror when the fog faded away and the entirety of the creature was revealed._

_The lion was gigantic and of a strange color, which was of an odd blend of red and amber brown. On its side were thick bulges hidden in shadow. At first, Arianna thought it must be a disfiguration of some sort but when it took another step closer, she realized it was no deformation at all. The bulges turned out to bright red and gold wings folded on its side and the lion spread them open and Arianna saw that the size of each were as massive as the lion itself. She could also see that the lion wasn't entirely of fur, on its mane and tail were also a few clumps of red and gold feathers that rippled in the soft breeze. Its bright red eyes stared unceasingly at Arianna and the girl was in utter shock at the sight of this formidable being. It was a creature beyond imagination, she thought that not even the gods would have thought of creating such a beast as fearsome and overpowering as this. This creature was the bird-lion of her nightmares, the one in whose jaws she was engulfed in before she awoke and it was the first time in all this years that she had seen the lion so close and stared at it for so long._

_Then without warning, the lion belted out an earsplitting roar that shook Arianna's bones before it slowly turned away. Arianna ran to catch with it but it vanished in the still present haze._

"_Wait!" she cried but the creature was gone._

_Then she felt a soft hand on her shoulder, looking behind her she saw a tall beautiful young woman hooded in a cloak of midnight blue silk. The woman gave Arianna a grave expression as if wanting to tell her something but couldn't. The woman walked a few paces away from Arianna then turned back to look at the girl again. The woman lowered her hood revealing her long straight scarlet hair. After which, she pushed back the front of her cloak. Arianna spotted a strange colored diamond hanging around the woman's neck; it was of a similar color to the lion's coat and jutting out of her cloak was the jeweled hilt of a sword, sheathed in a scabbard hanging on a belt tied about her waist. Around the woman's head was thin gold circlet indicating that she was of royal blood. _

_From out of the fog, came another figure, only this time it was a man. The fog thickened once more and though Arianna could not make out the appearance of the man, she felt that she knew him intimately well and though his face was in a shadow, she knew he had a handsome face, clear aqua eyes and deep golden hair. Then, after putting his arm comfortingly around the woman, he extended what looked like a sharp dagger to Arianna but Arianna, confused and frightened, did not take it._

_The pair looked oddly familiar to Arianna but before she could speak, they both turned away and disappeared into the red haze._

_Mother? Father? Arianna thought but something in her made her doubtful that the couple she saw were her parents._

_Then, Arianna saw a small spot of dark blue sky a little beyond the purplish fog and she raced towards it. Arianna walked out of the fog and into the clear night. She was standing outside the fog, on a small cliff, Arianna slowly walked towards the edge to see what was below. When she did, her eyes opened wide in terror and she voiced a faint cry of despair._

_It was Vasdenin… and it was burning._

_The dark night was suddenly alight with the fiery red glow of the roaring flames. The massive blaze spread far and wide, burning everything in its path. Arianna fell to her knees in incredulity, tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched on helplessly. Her ears rung with the frightened cries and anguished wails of the townsfolk, everywhere men and women were screaming, running to and fro. Some were lying still and unmoving on the ground. Arianna covered her face were her hands as she wept uncontrollably. The faces she had seen on the ground were the faces of people she had known her whole life._

_They were all dead… _

_When Arianna looked up from her hands, it was no longer Vasdenin burning before her but instead it was her own home that was in flames. She immediately stood up and ran about in panic. She turned around the house and called out desperately as the tears continued to run down her face,_

"_Grandfather! Grandfather!"_

_Oh, where could he be? I must find him!_

_When she had gone to the back, she saw that the barn and the fields were burning as well. From the raging inferno, Arianna saw someone approaching her._

_Grandfather? Arianna thought hopefully. _

_Indeed it was her grandfather but just as Arianna was about to run to him, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him up close._

_No…_

_There was Baltook the old farmer, staggering towards her. His normal gray eyes were now bloodshot red and his clothes were torn into shreds revealing a ghastly image. All over his body were long deep gashes, sliced randomly on his arms, legs and torso. He was bleeding all over and his blood gushed in a trail behind him. He stopped for a moment and whispered Arianna's name before dropping to the ground, dead. _

_Arianna stepped back with her hand on her mouth, shaking her head in disbelief, her eyes filled with hot tears as she looked away with torment and grief. As she continued backing up, she suddenly felt the craggy tip of a cliff but before she could stop herself, a hand grabbed the back of her clothes and pulled her over her edge._

_Once again, Arianna was falling once again into a dark chasm. All around her she heard someone speaking faintly in a foreign tongue followed by the cruel cold laugh of a woman. After a few moments, Arianna realized she wasn't falling into a chasm but instead into the wide gaping jaws of the bird-lion. As its deafening roar filled her ears, before she was devoured, the last thing she heard was her own voice screaming,_

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

"NO!"

Arianna's eyes flung wide open and she found herself staring into darkness. Her heart was racing within her chest that was moving up and down in quick gasping breaths. Large beads of sweat dripped from her forehead to the strands of long tangled scarlet hair. She looked about her in confusion since she also found herself in an unfamiliar black surrounding.

_Where am I?_

Arianna felt that she was lying on a flat but rough surface and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that she was on the floor. She knew that she had to get up and get on the bed. But as she pushed herself up, the muscles in her neck, shoulders and lower back contracted excruciatingly and as she sat up, her head whirled in a frenzied state and she started seeing purple blobs before her eyes. A wave of nausea fell over her and she suppressed herself from throwing up right then and there. She grabbed the coverings at the edge of the bed for support and mustering all her strength, she pulled herself unto the top of the bed and lay there moaning in agony. When she had moved herself into a comfortable position, she realized that being on the bed was not as different as being on the floor but still a slightly soft bed is always better than the coarse wooden floor. She then realized why the room was so dim; the candles must have burnt out in the long night.

Arianna turned her head towards the window and saw that sky was still dark and the stars still twinkled. It was nearly dawn but she knew that the sun wouldn't rise till a few hours more. Her aching head and her queasy stomach had relaxed a bit, to her relief and just when it did, she was slowly able to recall the events of the day before.

Escaping Madam Lilianne… the Archery contest… thirty gold pieces… the Golden Eagle Inn… the hunter's conversation… her rich and overly satisfying meal… the servant boy… and then… a blank space…

Thinking hard, she wondered why she couldn't call to mind what had happened just before her vicious nightmare. Arianna brought a hand to her head and she felt her skin burning up with fever. She groaned

_No! I can't be ill now, at least not in this sort of place! How will I be able to take part in the contest tomorrow if I'm ill? No, I must get well… I must rest…"_

Arianna wrapped herself in the coverings of her bed as she pulled it up to her chin. It was her nightmares again. She knew that she had to fall back to sleep so that she could regain her strength and energy, but even a simple thing as closing her eyes was not that easy to do. The vicious dream she had had was coming back to her, every single scene of it and it tortured her, as she lay awake. She ached for her cup of tea to wash away the pain, to help her forget it all, to drift off into a harmless slumber but she couldn't have it now, it was miles away from her all the way back home. Home. With her grandfather… Arianna then remembered the final scenes of her dream and it went painstakingly to her heart. In a few moments, Arianna was curled up into a little ball, weeping softly like a lost child and in a way she was lost. She missed her grandfather terribly and she wished that even for a few minutes she could feel his presence near her. It was almost a week since she had last seen him but it felt like a hundred years, she wondered how he was doing back at the fields… if he was still alive. The vision of her grandfather in his bloody state stayed in her mind until her bed was damp with her tears. She grabbed her head and urged herself to not believe it, to force herself to say that it was just a dream… only a dream… nothing more.

_But it seemed so real…_

_Rap-rap-rap-rap-rap_

A sharp tapping on the door shook Arianna awake.

"W-What? Who's there?" Arianna murmured groggily.

A low and deep voice answered, " Tis I young master. Pardon me for disturbing you but it is nearly noon and you haven't broken your fast thus far. I have taken upon myself the liberty of preparing a sumptuous meal for you, young master, for the right price of course."

It was the sleazy innkeeper and Arianna knew he was eager for few more pieces of her gold.

"I—" then Arianna cleared her throat, "Will be down in a moment, Barley."

Once the heavy footsteps of the bulgy innkeeper had tottered away, she sat up and yawned. Looking out the window, she beheld a clear bright blue sky spotted with a few wispy clouds instead of the deep dark chilling one she had seen a few hours ago. The sun was beaming hotly on the many rooftops and the town was already bustling with activity. It was indeed nearly noon for she could see the sun was nearly high up in the blue sky.

Setting her feet upon the wooden floor, she hung her head in a somnolent way before looking up and rubbing her eyes. Then, when she stood up and started looking for her boots, she suddenly realized something. Her fever was gone and so was her nausea. She was feeling fully energized and healthy that morning and Arianna laughed out loud.

"I am perfectly all right, all I needed was a little rest."

In a corner was a small washing basin filled with water, Arianna wondered how long it's been there but after she had checked out the quality of the water, she concluded that it was still sanitary for use and must have been brought up the night before she came in. After she had washed her face and arms, she continued the search for her boots.

She couldn't recall her horrible nightmare anymore and that didn't bother her one little bit. When she had found her worn brown knee-high boots, she stuck her feet into them and picked up her hunting cap on the floor.

She looked around for her brush and then she remembered that she had left it behind inside her trunk at Madam Lilianne's house and it must have already been crumbled into ashes with all the other objects she had left behind in that house she burned down. She decided that she might as well go through the day without it. So, after combing through her hair with her fingers, she braided it in a quick fashion and tucked it inside her hunting cap. Glancing sideways, she caught sight of her empty quiver and she made a mental note to purchase some new ones later in the day.

Thinking about purchasing made her wonder how much gold she had left, so taking the small pouch, she spilled its brilliant contents on the small desk and in the end, though she knew not the counting word, her coins equaled to two sets of both hands and two fingers. It was still enough to last a week or even a month if she spent it wisely. Shoving the coins back inside the small sack, she deposited it inside her hunting vest. She walked towards the door, unbolting it and thrusting it open. She found herself once again in the long corridor of the upper floor of the Golden Eagle Inn.

Turning left, she headed towards the staircase but when she had reached it, she heard the raucous chatters of excitement below and she wondered what all the commotion was about so she descended the staircase. Looking into the common room, she saw a large group of hunters gathered at one table conversing rather elatedly. Some of them, she recognized the night before while others looked new to her.

Then, suddenly the man Arianna identified immediately as Bracker, the young hunter who had narrated the magical story of the golden phoenix, walk steadily inside but it was evident that he was feigning it since she noticed a slight jittering movement in his stride and his eyes glistened with keen enthusiasm.

All of a sudden, the hunters crowded around him, soliciting a lot of questions while talking animatedly, Bracker merely smiled and walked towards a table. The other hunters called out for more ale as they intently listened to what the man had to say but before he could speak, another hunter rushed in impatiently into the Golden Eagle Inn.

"What's this? What's all this I'm hearing from the streets to my very own home? I have been searching for you all morning, Brother Bracker! Come! Come! Tell me what all this fuss is about over… a bird?"

All the men spoke at once and the inn was filled with loud deep exclamations. Bracker held up his hands for silence and he turned his attention to the newcomer, "You're welcome to hear my latest news brother, along with all these other fine men, so please take a seat and call out a pint of ale for what I have to say will come as a deep shock to you all."

Arianna listened attentively to this hunter and she sat quietly on a bench close to the wall where she could not be openly distinguished but could hear every word spoken clearly. She was eager to hear what his news were about, and she was not alone, the other hunters were impatient for it as well.

"My friends, our greatest expectation has finally come! All those non-believers! Those who doubted my tale about the golden phoenix, it is your time to come to shame, for I, my good men have valid proof on me of it's existence."

The men whispered and murmured to each other but Bracker held up his hands again.

" I will reveal it to you anon but first, let me tell you the interesting tale of how I came about it. Very early this morning as I was on my way to this very tavern, I happened to pass by an broken old wooden cart and of course seeing that it was nothing but rubbish, I walked by with hardly a glance at it but then something had caught my eye. At first, I thought it was a lost coin or a hidden trinket of some sort, instead gentlemen I found the greatest treasure ever to be found in Vasdenin."

"You desired discernible proof of the golden phoenix's existence, my fellow hunters, well then, feast your eyes on THIS!" exclaiming loudly, he reached into his vest and pulled out a radiant object that seemed to illuminate even brighter than the sun inside the tavern. His audience gasped in amazement. All eyes were on the extraordinary item he held in his hand and Bracker held it up with pride and delight.

"The Golden Phoenix's feather. But, if you found it here, does that mean then that…" a man voiced out.

"It means precisely what it means my friends! The golden phoenix is HERE IN VASDENIN!" Bracker proclaimed excitedly.

The men talked livelier and praised the wonders of the golden feather but Arianna frowned when she looked closely at it, something about the feather was extremely familiar but she couldn't remember why. But then the hunter spoke again,

"Today, the mystical monarchs of the east will be arriving in our humble town and wouldn't it be ostentatious to present them with an even more magical gift? The golden phoenix, the most powerful bird ever to subsist on this earth. Gods help us! We will have that bird in our possession and once we do, Vasdenin will not only be great and powerful but we would leave a distinguished mark on the map that no other land would ever forget and we will be acknowledged as the finest town in all the earth! Now, men let us not waste any more time over this idle talk! We must find that bird and capture it!"

The men cheered and voiced their agreement loudly. After drinking a toast to the now famous hunter, Bracker, they downed their drinks in one gulp before turning towards the door. On their way out, they tossed a coin or two to the innkeeper who caught it all graspingly as he smiled malevolently.

Only Arianna was left in the large common room, pondering deeply on the intriguing news brought by the hunter. The phoenix was here in Vasdenin. Now her moment has finally come! Not only would she be labeled as the only woman hunter of Vasdenin but if she caught this mystical creature, her name would certainly go down in the history of the world as the girl who made Vasdenin the greatest in all the lands. All these new exciting ideas were making Arianna's stomach do cartwheels and she couldn't help but quiver with anticipation for the upcoming events of the day.

_Today is the day that my life turns on a new course. The day when the word woman means so much more than what it was in the past. Everything anyone ever knew or thought they knew about life will alter entirely all because of me._

She smiled confidently and took a deep breath. She wanted to have a head start on the day, since she had already wasted so much time of it in slumber that she realized that there were only a few hours left before the fairy lords come to Vasdenin and the final Archery contest begins. She cringed when she also remembered that she would have to endure seeing Uther's despicable face once again. She sighed heavily, well, not all exciting victories came without defects and trouble, and she would just have to simply bear him until the end. Then Arianna thought slyly, how would Uther respond when he finds out he was beaten by a mere peasant girl. Ha! That would certainly be a charming spectacle and she wouldn't dare miss it for the world.

But, as Arianna noticed, her stomach was still empty and had already started to complain. She also realized that she wouldn't last through the day if she didn't have a decent meal at the moment. Now where was that meal, that conniving innkeeper had promised her?

She looked towards the counter near the door where Barley was occupied with his profits, she called for him and he looked up with irritation. He certainly wasn't in the mood of being disturbed in the middle of his counting spree but when Arianna held up three gleaming gold coins in her right hand, the innkeeper's frown relaxed into a slick grin and promised her, her meal was on its way. Though it wasn't he who had served her meal correspondingly to the previous night, the food brought to her by a young servant boy was not the least appetizing. Her brunch consisted of three large loaves of bread, a slab of cheese, two thick slices of lamb and a small cup of ale. As Arianna was munching on a loaf of bread, she began thinking of her agenda for the day.

First, she would secure herself a brand new set of arrows and possibly some decent clothing, she wasn't expecting to be dressed glamorously though she had the funds to acquire it but she just wanted something more presentable than what she had now. Then, she would seek out a secluded place to warm up for the upcoming tournament and when it might be an hour or two from the start of the festival, she would probably take a quick wash somewhere and prepare herself for the Archery contest. Arianna was pleased with her plan and she promised herself that right after her meal, she would get right on it. Very soon, she would no longer be the outcast peasant girl from the fields or just a farmer's granddaughter. She would be a renowned huntress and a revered woman throughout the land. Nothing could possibly go wrong. She was certain that the gods had no objections whatsoever to her intentions since she had been able to manage thus far. Arianna was nearing the end of her goal; she was just an arm's reach away from her victorious success.

_Oh, if only grandfather could see me right now… he would be so proud. Maybe he would even say that my parents would be proud of me as well. After today, our lives will change for the better and happiness will reign throughout our lives! We would no longer have to be farmers! We could live in a better land, in a more wonderful home and have a feast every single day! Oh, what would he say if he only knew the great future we have before us!_

And so it was that the peasant girl mused optimistically on her and her grandfather's future not knowing how exceedingly wrong she was… if only she knew how very, very wrong she was…


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"_**Preparations"**_

The twang of a bow's string resonated in the isolated area behind a large wooden gate and ended with a loud thud on the tough bark of a large and old oak tree.

Arianna peeked from underneath her blindfold and groaned frustratedly.

The arrow had landed way beyond the center of the target, which was a bright red mark Arianna smeared unto the center the oak tree with some red chalk that she casually picked up from an art stand near the town hall. It didn't take long for Arianna to find a secluded place to practice her bow and arrows, there were practically a dozen places where the townsfolk hardly ventured into and this area was one of them.

Throwing down her bow with aggravation, she crossed her arms tightly and paced rapidly, back and forth. Sitting down on a rock, she hung her head on her hands and wracked her brain for a new strategy. She had been trying to hit the dead center of the target, blindfolded while muttering petitions to the gods in her head, for nearly two hours. Time was slipping by quickly and not one of her arrows was true to its goal. Arianna looked up from her hands and focused her eyes on the target. Staring straightly at the red mark, she tried to remember what she had done accurately during the first Archery tournament that made her see through the blindfold.

Then, with a sigh of utmost determination, Arianna stood up again and picked up the strip of brown cloth from the ground. She also picked up her bow and walked towards the oak tree. Wrenching the arrow from the already battered trunk, she walked an estimated distance of fifty paces away from the target and turned around. Tying the blindfold securely over her eyes, she strung the arrow unto the bow.

_All right then, if I did it before than I, sure as the gods, can do it again…_

Arianna took a deep breath and as she positioned herself for release, she screamed in her head.

_Show me the light! Show me the light! Show me the light!_

But after waiting a few moments, nothing happened. All she still saw was black darkness. Arianna tore off the blindfold and looked at it with confusion.

_What am I doing wrong?_

Frowning irritably, she flung the cloth aside and aimed her arrow at the target. Shutting her eyes tight, she put aside the illusions of her former idea, and focused on reality remembering every little thing her grandfather and her recent experience had taught her. She checked the course of the wind as a light breeze swept a few hanging strands of her scarlet hair, she summoned to her intellectual mind, her distance, her position and her strength. With all these in mind, she felt confident, sure handed and ready.

Without a moment's hesitation, she fired the arrow and then she heard the distant thud of the landing arrow. From where she stood, she knew her arrow had gone straight to its mark. Opening her eyes, she saw it. There it was, set at the very center of the trunk and she had done it without any supernatural occurring of any kind.

Arianna smirked and shook her head knowingly, _I was right. Whatever happened yesterday was no more than a figment of my imagination… Of course it was my imagination! What could I have been thinking? I? A god? _

Laughing silently, Arianna went to claim her arrow and as she walked back to her starting point. Her confidence started to build up inside her once again. The day was nearly drawing to its end. Only a few hours more and she would soon be basking in the glory and fame that she had been dreaming of for so long.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of bright gold high up in the oak tree. Arianna frowned and rubbed her eyes. Was her mind playing tricks with her again? She decided that the sun must have got into her eyes or maybe she had pushed herself too hard with her archery practice.

She laid her bow and arrow on the ground and sat at the foot of the oak tree. Closing her eyes and leaning against the trunk, she thought she heard a strange melancholic melody in the wind. It sounded so faint, hardly audible, but it was so beautiful. Gradually, the volume of the song increased and Arianna could make out the most beautiful, saddest and the most enchanting voice she had ever heard in her entire life. The high and soothing tune swept through Arianna, lulling the girl to sleep and leading her into numerous fantasies of perfect serenity and bliss. Running streams, the green vibrancy of the forest, the gentle coolness of the breeze, and the fresh gust of mountain air filled Arianna's mind and for a moment, she wished she would never awake, wished to dwell inside her idyllic visions for all time…

But then, almost immediately, the voice disappeared. It took a few moments for Arianna to realize what had happened to her. When she opened her eyes, to see what had just occurred, she noticed nothing out of the ordinary. She looked up towards the thick branches and leaves of the great oak tree but still saw nothing.

When she stood up, she felt extremely lightheaded, just like the night before except without the other horrible effects of the ale. As soon as she had walked a good distance away from the tree, she heard some indistinct shouting on the other side of the fence. Wondering if that strange melodic singing was the reason for the excitement, she moved towards a part of the fence, where some planks of wood were missing and listened to the outside conversation.

"Did you hear it?" a man's voice asked.

His wife, a plump woman, replied, "I certainly did. Nearly fell over when I was in that horrible trance."

"W-What happened?" A slow old voice asked.

"It was the phoenix! The Golden phoenix, wasn't it mother? And it was singing!" A small boy asked, jumping excitedly.

A few more people gathered around, chatting dynamically about the incident when unexpectedly, two well-dressed horsemen came riding up on their brown steed.

"By the gods! What's all this fuss about, now?" One of the horsemen asked.

"The golden phoenix, milord, it was here just a few moments ago." One of the village men answered.

The horsemen looked at each other with wonder and the other horseman uttered, "A pity we missed it but not to fear, the Priceless Gift challenge will begin soon and we may have a chance at that golden phoenix."

The people gathered around them, murmured to one another and nodded.

"We have come bringing great news." The first horseman announced gallantly and the small crowd quieted.

"Yes, indeed, important news as well. We have just received word that the Lighted Caravan of the Mystical Monarchs from the east has just arrived."

The people cheered but the horseman speaking held up his hands for silence, "The town master has instructed everyone in the town of Vasdenin to proceed to the town square when the last rays of sunset fall. The Spring Fairy Festival is almost at hand so I charge you all to ready yourselves for it is time for celebration!"

The townsfolk cheered again and the two horsemen rode away. Once the horsemen, had gone, the crowd dispersed and the people headed quickly for their homes to make final arrangements for their festival making. Arianna, who was leaning against the fence, sighed nervously.

The Spring Fairy Festival…

Arianna looked up to the sky, it was nearing the end of the afternoon. She had to act quickly if she expected to get to the festival on time. She still had to stop by the inn to collect her new garments, quiver with a full set of arrows and take her bath. So she had a few more practice shots with her bow and arrow before leaving.

While she was packing up, the golden phoenix entered her thoughts and she remembered how close it was to her and how enchanting its song was. Arianna planned on joining the challenge in capturing something magnificent for the fairies and she knew most hunters were bent on seeking out the golden phoenix.

Shouldering her bow and her sack where she stored some other things, she noticed something glistening at the foot of the oak tree. Walking closer to determine what it was, her eyes widened when she saw it. It was a golden feather; alike to the one that hunter had brought to the inn earlier that day.

It was shining so brilliantly on the ground, that Arianna felt the urge to pick it up and hold it closer. But something instead her prevented her from doing so. She just stood there staring at the radiant piece debating with herself whether to pick it up or not. Then, with a final look at it, Arianna turned and walked away.

Though she felt slightly regretful for not having taken that precious item, she also felt relieved. Something about that feather was disturbing her greatly, and she didn't exactly know why.

Putting away the issue of the golden feather, she forced herself to focus on the events of that night. If she was aiming to achieve all that she had been planning for, she had to execute all her actions with extreme caution, confidence and intelligence. So far, everything was moving at the course she had planned. All she needed to do now was to win the archery tournament and have that golden bird in her possession tonight.

Dusk was slowly setting on the small town of Vasdenin but it was only when the last rays of the sun lingered above the horizon, coloring the sky with swirls of deep red orange, pastel pink and purple did the town become alive with frenzied preparation for the upcoming festival. The Spring Fairy Festival was held every year just two weeks after the last breath of winter faded away. Each of the seven towns residing in the Northern lands played host to the fairy lords of the east, who came bringing with them the power of the elemental spirits, that held the kept life and nature at its normal balance. If the fairy lords were pleased with the reception given them, then that town would be assured of a flourishing year.

Vasdenin, of course, was that springtime's host and everyone in town was required to produce the best of what Vasdenin could offer, which wasn't all that difficult to accomplish. Vasdenin was indeed well known for the great succulent banquets and excellent provision of wine and ale. The town also boasted of its army of archers and headhunters that were the finest and most skilled in all the Northern land. After a long week of busy preparation, Vasdenin was confident that surely they would instantly attain the appreciation they deserve from the fairies of the east.

Night had fallen on Vasdenin and the town was lit up with numerous bright lanterns, a large crowd gathered around the large town square which was actually just a plain vast area of grass. All over that area, many brightly colored tents were scattered here and there, some underneath the shadow of the trees, while some in the open ground. This was the area where the Vasdenians would conduct their large gatherings and celebrations. It no longer looked like a simple grassland; instead the Vasdenians had turned it into a grand area lined with magnificent lanterns, vibrant ribbons and bountiful exquisite flowers of the land. The largest and most wonderfully decorated tent was situated at the center and it was there where the fairy monarchs were settling in after their arrival.

A few young girls nearby were garbed in long pastel colored spring dresses and were busily arranging each other's wreaths, which were colorful wild flowers artistically bound on their heads. They giggled unceasingly as they whispered secretly about their bashful admirers across the field. The young hunters on the other end tried their best to look dignified and nonchalant, but their bright red faces gave them away after noticing these extremely beautiful girls passing looks at them.

The older women and men had more important things to look after, there was still the food and drink to prepare. The festival was about to begin and already several hungry gazes were directed to the long wide table where the sweet luscious aroma of the various dishes set flavored the cool evening air.

The other young lads, who weren't preoccupied with female distractions, were trying their best to imitate their older counterparts as they engaged in semi-serious conversations pertaining to hunting, the festival and the upcoming contests. But the young hunters lacked the erudition that the older ones had long attained, so they gave up on the matter and instead chatted about what they would do if ever they would win in a contest. Most of these boys decided to join another large group of young people who were crowded around one very familiar young man, Uther.

Once again, he retold all of his wild tales and boasted of his great wealth and achievements, stressing heavily on his being one of the three winners of the Archery contest. But most of his audience only came to listen to him so they could somehow learn about what really happened in the tournament and about that peasant boy who had shot straight into a bull's eye at a long distance of fifty yards.

Though it seemed that every boy in Vasdenin was in that company, there was one young lad who was alone, sitting on a crate behind a small white tent with his head bowed and the shadow of his cap hid his face from passersby. Over his shoulders, he wore a coarse grey cloak that kept him warm from the chill of the night. A long bow and a quiver filled with long bright green arrows laid at his feet.

The boy was no other than the peasant girl Arianna, who had no other companions since aside from the fact that she knew no one, it was far wiser and less credible for her to be discerned if she remained solitary. But she was not oblivious to the ongoing ranting of Uther and the small crowd that gathered around him since his voice was loud enough to be heard a league away and she was sitting just a few meters behind him.

Uther's audience was starting to lose their interest in the boy's vain praises about himself.

"And so after _I_ single-handedly defeated by worthless opponents, _I_ was carried gallantly on the men's shoulders and they chanted _my_ loud aloud for the whole town to hear. After which, my father promised _me_ that war stallion _I_'ve been asking for. _I_'m going to have it the day after tomorrow and it's going to be the best war stallion this town has ever seen…"

"But Uther!" one of the younger boys interrupted, " Would you not tell us more about the pea— I mean, your opponents in the tournament."

Uther scoffed, "And why should my opponents be of such interest to the likes of you? They were nothing but weak, unskillful boys who knows nothing of hunting or archery. They all cowered before me like dogs bowing to their master. All of them recognized who they were facing and they all backed away respectfully."

"But—" the boy persisted.

"Enough of this!" Uther growled menacingly, "It was _I _who won the archery tournament! _I_ who deserve to be acknowledged! And _I_ who will have no other interruptions whilst _I_ am speaking! Not from you or from any other yellow belly cowards alike to that impudent filthy peasant scum who had no right whatsoever to utter such hideous, insignificant smut to my face, which deserves to be praised and appreciated!"

The young boys stood motionless at the tremendous outburst of Uther. The boy's face was crossed severely, hidden flames flickered in his eyes and his face was puffed red.

"It astonishes me how much strength and fury one insignificant peasant scum could possibly invoke in you." A deep quiet voice uttered.

All heads, including Uther's, turned to see who had spoken. Hidden in the shadows was a slim figure of a boy shouldering his bow and quiver, his wily smile could be distinguished in the dim light.

"YOU!" Uther muttered vindictively.

Ari stepped out from the shadows of the tent and into the hanging lanterns' glow. He bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. Uther turned even redder with ferocity.

Arianna walked past the small group and she tipped her hat and said well naturedly in her low voice, "I wish you the best of the luck for tonight's tournament, Uther of Val Hall. May the gods guide the path of your arrows!"

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving admiring eyes locked on her. Arianna felt them all and she knew how Uther was doubtlessly reacting to what she had just done.

Uther of course was indubitably fuming. With a few simple words, Ari the peasant rat had captivated an entire audience while it took him, Uther of Val at least half an hour of elaborate sayings and gestures to grab people's attention. He restrained himself from running after the worthless peasant to give him the beating he truly deserves. Instead he inwardly consoled himself, while he watched Ari walk away, with the thought that very soon the only thing the gods would be guiding tonight would be the damned soul of Ari, the peasant boy.

Arianna walked as briskly as she can away from the crowds and again not conscious of her sense of direction, she bumped roughly into another moving body.

"Oof!" the person groaned as he stumbled to the ground.

"Pardon me, I'm dreadfully sorry! I wasn't watching where I was heading to and…" Arianna stuttered as she helped the person, which was a blonde haired boy about her age, up.

"S'all right. No harm done." The boy replied and brushed the dust off his clothes.

When he looked and smiled, Arianna was in a state of shock all over again.

"Hey!" the boy said his eyes glimmering as he caught sight of the bow and arrow, "You're an archer! Listen, I'm just wondering if you happened to see another archer, uh, around your age. She looks like a girl, well, she IS a girl but she's pretending to be a boy so uh… oh no!"

The boy's eyes widened when he realized what he had just said and Arianna sighed exasperatedly. She grabbed his arm and dragged him behind a distant tree.

The blonde boy grimaced, "I'm in trouble now aren't I?"

"You certainly are." Arianna replied through gritted teeth clutching his shoulder.

"I promise! I'll tell you everything! It was just a game! She didn't mean to! Please don't hurt me!" he pleaded.

Arianna pulled off her hat, "Hollin, you twit! It's me!"

When Hollin opened his eyes and saw the bright scarlet hair and the fiery brown eyes of his companion, he gasped, "Arianna? Is it really you?"

Arianna released his shoulder and fixed up her hair, "Of course it's me. Who else would I be if I'm not myself?"

"Well, a boy and an archer by the looks of it all." Hollin replied and his dark blue eyes scanned her up and down, "You look utterly brilliant in those clothes, I mean, I hardly recognized you."

"What do you mean hardly? You didn't recognize me." Arianna pointed out as she tucked the last of her scarlet strands under her hat, "Anyway, what in Kannaham's name are you doing here? I thought you told me your father forbade you to come here?"

Hollin frowned slightly, "Yes, well. What could you expect? I'm the baker's youngest son. All my other brothers went to join the competitions in the festival. I, for one, was planning to go for the bird game but when Father realized there was no one else to help him out, he pulled me to him and so, here I am covered head to foot in flour and sugar!"

Arianna chuckled, "Well, at least I see you are doing something useful for once. But…" then a worried glance came upon her face, "Grandfather! What about grandfather? Did you just leave him alone out there? How is he?"

"Don't worry Arianna. I checked on him yesterday morning. He was asleep in his bed, safe and sound."

Arianna was not entirely convinced but before she could pose another question, she heard the loud tinkling of chimes.

"The Spring Fairy Festival. It's about to begin!" Hollin declared.

"Yes," Arianna replied as she looked towards the large colorful tent where the people started to gather around, "And the archery tournament is one of the first competitions. I must go get prepared. I have to go now Hollin, but there is much I have to tell you… anon."

But before Arianna could turn and leave, Hollin grabbed the end of her sleeve, "Arianna! Wait!"

"What is it now?" Arianna asked with an impatient sigh.

"I'm not sure you should go through with all this."

"What?" Arianna cried, "It was you who came up with this idea in the first place."

Hollin bowed his head and answered rather sheepishly, "Yes, I know that but… I'm having quite a guilty notion about all this."

"Why?"

"It's almost like I'm sending you to your death. You've already broken about a hundred town rules since the day you left and the worst punishment they could possibly give you is a lot of torture leading to your death! And I'm the one responsible for it all! Arianna, I can't bear to go on with my life if you had to throw away yours on account of my foolish ideas!"

Arianna placed a hand comfortingly on her friend's shoulder, "Hollin, I know the town rules and the consequences for breaking them. I've already touched and used a weapon that only men are allowed to use. I've been using it since I was a mere child and yet no harm has come to me. But that was because of my grandfather. But, now, my grandfather is no longer here to do that. The things I have done in the past few days and even the past few years are already liable for the penalty of death. I have risked everything, even my very life, to be where I am right now and I didn't do all that just to back away at the last moment. Hollin, this is the day I have dreaming of for years and I will not give up it up. Not this time, not when I've come so close to reaching it."

Hollin stayed silent as he listened to his childhood friend, "I understand Arianna."

Arianna smiled sadly, "Besides, if ever I do face death after this, I would be at least comforted by the thought that I had done something worthy in the eyes of the gods and men."

The distant blare of the trumpets resounded all throughout the area introducing the town head to the platform before the tent.

"I'll speak to you later Hollin, for now, I must go." Arianna said hastily before brushing past Hollin.

"May the gods guide you on your journey." Hollin muttered.

Arianna looked back at the blonde boy, "Hollin, I'm not going anywhere."

"I doubt that, considering what you are about to face tonight. You'll be running for your life before the festival is over." Hollin said apathetically.

Arianna smirked bravely, "Then so be it. May the gods guard you till I return. If ever I return…"

Hollin watched as his friend ran off and disappeared into the crowd of people milling around the large tent. He sighed sadly but he placed his hope and faith in Arianna, she was not the type of girl to let complicated situations get out of hand. But still, there was that possibility that she would and that was disturbing him quite greatly. Yet his faith in her remained strong, and to him, nothing, not even fear, can overcome his faith in Arianna.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"_**The Spring Fairy Festival"**_

Arianna slowly moved to a small dimly lit spot behind another white tent where she could see all that was going on in the festival and where no one could notice her at the same time. As she watched the people moving closer and closer to the gigantic rainbow tent, she suddenly felt the strange nervous sensations growing in the pit of her stomach and she fidgeted fretfully with her bow. The moment she had been dreaming, wishing and preparing for was just an arm's length away from her but she was starting have second thoughts about it all. Hollin's words finally dawned on her and she berated herself for not listening to him closely, yet somehow, she found confidence in her own words. She was in too far to back out now. If all turns out terribly, the only option she could think of was to run away, bid farewell to her grandfather and live the rest of her life as an outcast. The thought of fleeing and living a life of a criminal no longer excited Arianna and she was feeling the weight of her actions bear down on her heart. But she had no other choice, this was the path she chose and she would have to take it, no matter what could happen.

The chimes tinkled again, the musicians stopped playing and the large gathering hushed their voices into murmurs and whispers and then silence. A large man dressed so comically in what looked to be a jester's costume stepped unto the large long wooden platform before the even larger tent, and Arianna recognized him as the town's head.

"My dear fellow Vasdenians! We are greatly blessed this clear spring night! For it is on this night, that our noble, magnificent, royal lords and ladies from the magical East celebrates with us here in Vasdenin!"

The crowd cheered and applauded wildly.

"Now, I have with me, a few significant reminders just before the festival commences and here there are…" the town head unrolls a long scroll, which he had taken from the insides of his costume and began to read.

"First of all, no one is permitted to spend the night here on the festival grounds, it does not matter how utterly drunk you are, you must contain yourself and head home directly. Secondly, all meals and other food portions are to be taken in the dining tent, which as you can see is that large red one to the left where a large number of benches and blankets are set up and–"

The audience, it seemed, were not amused with all the ranting their town head was making. Some groaned, others frowned, while many grumbled and shouted curses. As the crowd grew more restless and irritated, the town head started sweating nervously but continued his rule reading.

He cleared his throat and continued shakily, "No one is allowed in the forests during or after the festival. We will also not tolerate any form of cheating during the competitions. There will be no fighting or brawl making on the course of this festival and—"

The large assembly grew even the more frustrated and began hurling objects at the town head, who was shaking like a mad dog, tried to proceed.

Then suddenly, from inside the tent, they all heard a gentle amusing laugh that sounded as soft as bells but loud enough to be heard by everyone. The crowd became silent as they stared in awe at the small bright glowing lights, similar to large fireflies that emerged from the tent and spiraled rapidly through the crowd and around the tent. Then, the glowing balls started to multiply as more came into view from the insides of the colorful marquee.

Arianna gasped as a few of the lights whisked past by her and she was sure that she heard many small giggles as they did. Their bright glow nearly gave her away and she lowered herself to the ground to hide herself. But then, a small glow suddenly rested at the top of her knee and Arianna froze when it did. She squinted carefully at the glow and realized it was not just any ball of light or firefly. It was a small being with bright wings and Arianna's vision changed, she looked around and no longer saw the lights but she saw the creatures themselves flitting about here and there. Before her eyes, the little one that sat on her knee flew to the level of her eyes and it giggled shyly. Arianna looked curiously at it and to her surprise and amazement, it bowed to her and kissed the tip of her nose before it dashed away. Arianna blinked and slowly raised her self up to see what was going on.

A group of the lights settled above the stage and everyone turned their eyes back towards the stage. In a bright flash of white light, the glowing lights disappeared and standing in their place were tall lords and ladies who shone as brilliant as the day. They were all clothed similarly, in light pastel colored silk that seemed to be woven from fine petals and aromatic leaves that glittered with crystal dew. Embedded within the long blonde locks of the ladies were a variety of blooming flora and the lords wore a thin silver circlet on their white blonde heads. Their long silver wings fell slowly to their backside and were hidden from view. The Vasdenians stared, entranced at not only their mystical clothing and features but also at their magnificent incomparable beauty.

The king and queen fairies were by far the most beautiful of them all and they were easily distinguished from their sons and daughters as well as their servants by the way they held their heads and looked around with a commanding aura. Their clothes differed as well, since it emitted a far brighter glow and a cape draped over their backs to cover their wings. The king wore a golden crown adorned with emeralds, rubies and other precious gems and the queen had her own diamond crown embellished with crystals and pearls.

The sweet laughter the townsfolk heard earlier belonged to the queen, who had laughed yet again, "By the mystical river Gordian, you mortals certainly are a funny folk! I've never heard such a preposterous notion of having such rules at a festival! Oh, my lord, you were most certainly just in convincing me to celebrate our festival here with the mortals."

The king smiled amusingly at his queen and said softly, "Did I not say so, my queen?"

It took a moment for Arianna to realize that the fairies were slightly hovering above the platform as they talked and giggled enthusiastically.

"My lord! My lady!" the town head stuttered as he knelt on the ground. The crowd quickly followed suit and soon the entire assembly were bowing their heads low to the ground.

This time, it was a younger female fairy whose long golden hair was adorned with lavender and pink petals, who laughed with a soft twinkling voice, "Mother! Is this how mortals show how pleased they are to see us! How queer, bowing like toads!"

"Now, now Ariel. You must not judge them that way; mortals are not as knowledgeable as we are and most certainly not as reputable. But once you get to know them quite better, they are truly surprisingly talented creatures." The king answered.

The princess, then set a foot on the platform and stepped down to the ground. Suddenly, the earth beneath her feet vibrated with life and from her feet bright green grass and long vines bearing silver buds grew and spread all around.

The nearest villagers to her gasped with shock and backed away.

Ariel laughed, "Fear not, fellow mortals. The breath of life you see is a gift all fairies are possessed with and we bring life to everything that needs life such as this party!"

With a clear laugh that rang as loud and as sweet as chime bells, she took from the insides of her floral gown a handful of glittering powder and tossed it into the air. Soon a strange silvery mist enveloped the town and as Arianna breathed in the mist, she felt a sudden relief of comfort and happiness. When the mist had evaporated, everyone was feeling a slight more cheerful and jollier than before and no longer feared their strange mystical guests. In a few moments everyone was laughing gaily and chattering with excitement. The fairies were beside themselves with laughter as well and the tiny glows were zooming here and there at lightning speed even the town head was smiling, though rather crookedly, his jingling hat askew.

"Oh Ariel. Your gift of joy has indeed surpassed far beyond our expectations. We thank you, daughter. Now, my good man, may we all proceed with the merrymaking straight away? I believe you have a few surprises in store for us tonight?" the king of the fairies said rather amusingly to the town head.

"Oh… Yes! Yes! Indeed! Of course! Let the festival BEGIN!" the town head announced and the crowd cheered as the band of musicians started to play a light yet playful song.

As the festival began, Arianna went off and bought some food, which consisted of a tiny slice from a mutton leg, a small portion of wheat bread and a small cup filled with ale from a food tent nearby. She felt the weight of her moneybag lighten and she reminded herself not to rashly spend all the gold at once. She brought her food back into her hiding place where she hurriedly gobbled down as she warily watched the people pass by, wondering when the archery tournament would begin. _Well, I believe I won't have to wait too long; it might begin after their feast. _

And sure enough, when the occupants of the long table had wiped clean their platters and were only requesting more wine for the guests, a man who Arianna recognized as Lord Freso's assistant stepped up before the platform and requested for silence.

"Honorable guests, enchanted lords and ladies from the east, and our highly respectable officials from the Northern Lands. We, the humble town folk of Vasdenin, would like to graciously present a small token of our gratitude for your esteemed presence here tonight at our Spring Fairy Festival. So, without much ado… Great Hunters, bring forth the present before our noble lords and ladies."

Four burly men came out from behind the great tent, bearing laboriously a large square object concealed underneath a bulky purple sheet. Arianna eyed it curiously; somehow she seemed to know what was underneath that large sheet. The men carefully set their load on the ground and panted heavily as they finally relieved themselves from their burden.

The hunter, Bracker, stepped forward and cleared his throat, "Your Immortal Majesties, it is a great honor to not only stand before your esteemed presence but to also present to you this token of gratitude, which I might add, I handpicked myself."

With a smug smile on his lips, he gestured to the large men to uncover the mysterious present.

There were loud gasps and sighs of awe as the coverlet was pulled down revealing an enormous golden bird that gleamed brilliantly in the night. It's small ruby eyes flashing as it ruffled its wings quite inelegantly sending sparks of gold flying through the air, it was obviously in a rather foul mood after being snatched rather nastily from a tree it had been resting on and shoved into a cold steel cage. But when it seemed to realize that it was once again the center of attention and its audience was more than just the average mortals, it settled down quietly, opened its small beak and began to sing a slow mournful song. Nearly every creature within a short distance from the Festival grounds were moved by the bird's song and once it had finished its song, Bracker cleared his throat again, and said rather shakily,

"My lords and ladies, I present to you the enchanted, mythical Golden Phoenix of the Northern Lands!"

Silence followed after this since the crowd was still reeling with the aftermath of the phoenix's song and were not quite sure whether to applaud or weep.

Arianna seemed to notice that the fairies were hardly pleased at all. The king frowned and gazed at the creature with severity while the queen's face was emotionless and strangely blank.

Just then, the silence was broken by a tinkling laugh rose above the hush of the festival.

"Oh you mortals! You truly are the gods most fascinating creations!" The fairy princess Ariel tittered.

"Ariel, be silent." the king commanded softly but sternly.

But his daughter chose to ignore him as she continued, "Clearly, you mortals know nothing of the ancient magical beasts of lore. Surely, any creature, whether a mortal or mystical being, who is clever and knowledgeable in that certain field would instantly distinguish by ear or by the sight, the descriptive features of an all powerful golden phoenix and a silly songbird, the golden nightingale."

Hushed whispers and murmurs resounded from the audience.

"The princess is right, that indeed is no phoenix." A crackly old voice declared from the crowd. Everyone turned to see who had spoken and found it was no other than Miki, the old town storyteller.

The bent old man stepped forward, leaning heavily on his short wooden cane. Bowing respectfully in front of the fairies and the other noblemen, he started to explain, "The Golden Phoenix is the most highly respectable, most powerful as well as the world's most magical creature of all time. A bird that never dies but bursts into red fiery flames and resurrects every century. Most widely known for its ability to heal, an extraordinary valuable ally in battle and a symbol of good luck and fortune. It is said that those who are found favorable by this marvelous creature will be given such wealth and glory beyond imagination... It is said—"

"Oh, in the gods' glorious name! We all know about the legend of the Golden Phoenix! What we all impatiently want to know is how and why this bloody bird is NOT the Golden Phoenix!" Bracken burst out furiously, his face a bright shade of red. It was obvious that the incident has shaken him up more than everyone else present.

Miki looked flustered after being so rudely interrupted by the young hunter but he cleared his throat and continued rather irritably, "Well, then, if you all are as uncivilized as this man then I might as well get straight to my point. This bird is NOT a Golden Phoenix because golden creatures, bird or beast no longer exist in this world anymore. But I have no inkling why and how this bird happens to be here. It's a nightingale as you can see because phoenixes have not only gold feathers but also silver and red ones and this bird is only plain gold. Also this bird's beak is elongated and long while phoenixes beaks are short and slightly curved. And lastly, phoenix songs are deadly to anyone who hears them. It only sings when it feels threatened or is incredibly angry. Since nightingales songs only lull people to sleep, and this bird has obviously been singing all day, I feel obliged to ask if anyone HAD died recently!"

The crowd was stunned since it was the first time they heard the storyteller speaking in such a harsh manner

Miki grumbled angrily to himself as he walked away, leaving a still very speechless and even more bewildered audience. What a queer, unusual night they were having on such a joyous occasion!

"Now would you kindly send the bird away and carry on with the festival." The king announced gravely though it was evident he was far from wanting to return to a festive mood.

Wiping his brow shakily with a small white cloth, the town head muttered nervously, "R-Right… A-archery contest…. M-men… get to it, get to it. By gods! _By the gods_! This will s-surely be the death of me!"

He signaled to the men standing close by. The townsfolk dispersed once more, most of them calling for more pints of ale. Vasdenians were known for being people who are easily surprised but they immediately found ways in easing their distress in such a smooth manner that before long they would act as if nothing startling had happened at all and that was how the town folk were behaving. As they should be after hearing that horrendous phoenix-nightingale confusion, which was obviously very disturbing.

Arianna came out of her hiding place, and watched as the men set up the archery ground. But then a small-unobserved scene was happening at the fairy's side of the table. The king signaled to his queen as well as his children. After a brief exchange of words, Arianna saw now that nearly all the fairies bore a grim and worried look on their faces. Arianna wondered what was happening; she then glanced at the nightingale's cage. Two men were trying to pry the cage open, apparently wanting to set the bird free. But they were unaware of a few golden lights circling it and the nightingale was emitting shrieks of horror. The lights flitted rapidly to the table and gathered around the fairy king. He nodded as if confirming something and then he shook his head sadly, when he looked up, he was staring directly into Arianna's eyes and Arianna knew that he knew who she really was and Arianna felt that something terrible was about to happen.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"**_Endless Debacle"_**

Arianna looked away and shut her eyes but then she heard a small voice whispering in her ear, speaking in a soft strange ancient tongue. Afterward it spoke gravely in her language, _Saedi Thies… you are no longer safe here… you are already revealed to her… she knows you are here… the fairies have vowed to exclude ourselves from the affairs of the Animasi…but we have foreseen your future… you are the One…now you must flee… flee now… we beg you to forgive us… we cannot aid you…it is not yet time for the fairies to act… we can only advise… flee… our king bids you, Saedi Thies…flee…_

Arianna opened her eyes, the voice was gone.

As she looked at the table, the king was no longer facing her and the rest of the beings seemed impassive and sad.

Arianna shook her head, she felt as if she was losing her mind and her sanity every moment since the day she last saw her grandfather. Thinking again about her grandfather brought back the same painful longing she felt the night before. But she had already assured herself that there was no way she was going back to her grandfather unless it was with this victory. She went through too much to flee. So ignoring what she had heard a moment ago, dismissing the urgent warning in her head as nothing but her imagination. She started towards the archery ground.

There were callers dispatched everywhere summoning all archery players and spectators to the archery ground, which was just nearing its completion. Arianna was there promptly, watching as the targets were set at about forty yards away. Soon she was joined by three tall lean and strong looking hunters who were said to be widely known as the best archers in the Northern Land, Arianna cast her eyes to the ground, trying to fight off that strange sensation fluttering about in her stomach. She could hardly believe she was actually competing with the Best Archers in the land. But her silent blissful flame was quickly doused as she saw Uther approaching. His cold green eyes glinted maliciously and his usual cocky sneer was replaced by grim scowl. He said nothing as he immediately took the mark beside Arianna, but she could feel his icy gaze on her as she took an arrow from her quiver and fitted it readily to her bow. When the contestants were finally complete, she saw Lord Freso step up to the platform.

"Honorable guests, lords and ladies of distant lands and far away places, I am deeply grateful and most honored to be given a chance to present to you all, the Vasdenin Archery Contest!"

The on looking spectators cheered from the sidelines. Lord Freso beamed proudly at the mortals and fairies seated at the table behind him before he continued.

"Vasdenin is a land widely noted for its unusual and extraordinary talents in archery. A true Vasdenin archer could bring down three adult bucks in the dark with the use of no more than three shafts. It is here, in this town, where the best archery lads are born and raised and made! So in honor of our pride…We give you this Archery tournament! Let the contest begin!"

The loud shrieks and chants of the crowd filled the night air as they turned their attention to the archers on the archery field. Arianna took one more glance at Lord Freso and to her utmost surprise; he caught her eye, winked cheerily and flashed her wide grin. She smiled back awkwardly and gave a small wave with hand before facing the targets in the distant. The lanterns that had provided the archers what little light they had to catch a glimpse of their targets' location were soon extinguished.

Arianna and the other archers were now facing total and complete darkness in the distance. Her heart started beating wildly and her palms started to sweat. The unsettling vibration in the pit of her stomach whirled rapidly. She stole a glance at her opponents' faces. The boy from Gnath was in a miserable state, slightly shaking as he lifted his bow, fear was in his frantic eyes. Uther's face was expressionless and blank but Arianna saw him slightly fidgeting with his bow and though half in darkness, she could see he looked a tad bit paler. The three men also bore no obvious emotion and they held themselves in readiness.

Arianna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, muttering a silent prayer to the gods, and when she opened her eyes, fierce determination and grit shone brightly. She gripped her bow tighter and stood straight and prepared, holding her bow and arrow set.

"Archers! To your mark!" Lord Freso barked.

Taking a step forward and balancing their stance the archers stood poised in their position.

"Aim!"

They lifted their bows simultaneously aiming at the pitch-black darkness.

"Fire!"

Arianna released, a silent whistle cut through the anticipated tension in the air ending with a dull thud. Letting her bow down she waited for the call.

"All arrows have penetrated the bulls eye!" came the distant call.

The crowd cheered wildly and Arianna breathed a sigh of relief but it wasn't over yet. The competition proved to be as tough and as difficult as Arianna had imagined it. The night was waning fast, already the target was sixty yards away in the dark and still all players had remained. Inside, Arianna marveled at the skill of her rivals, they indeed proved to be the best in all the land. But the complete presence of all her adversary's hardly intimidated her focus or her fortitude. She played as hard as ever. Soon the Gnath boy was eliminated, his arrow fell short of the mark and he blundered off pathetically into the crowd when he realized he had lost. Surprisingly, two of the hunters followed shortly after the boy, both their arrows way off from the center target.

Then, there was only one target, a hundred and twenty yards away, the night breeze blew a little more strongly and the crowd was silent with awe. Three archers shooting blindly in the dark and still managing to hit their target was a spectacle far greater than any the Vasdenians had ever witnessed. So far the farthest target any hunter had been able to hit was a hundred fifty yards away and it was evident that that highest achievement was about to be beaten.

But when Arianna looked up to face her target, an eerie sound echoed and throbbed in her head and she could feel the dull burn of her hidden mark underneath her long sleeved top. She sensed something terribly and dangerously wrong and she felt like she had spinning long and fast, Arianna kneeled slowly to the ground clutching her head with a soft groan.

" Oh Gods! Someone get that lad some water! Water! Hurry!" she heard the voice of Lord Freso shout worriedly.

The crowd murmured with curiosity as a woman came out from nearby tent a clutching a jug of water and a small wooden cup. She hurriedly came to the side of Arianna or Ari, gently letting the "lad" sip slowly from the small cup.

"What's the matter, peasant rat? Fear starting to shake your little filthy head? Can't handle the pressure like a proper man, now, can't you? Can't you! You worthless scum!" Uther spat viciously after which he sneered at her spitefully.

Arianna felt her blood boil at the sound of his voice and she wanted to face Uther but instead she saw Lord Freso coming towards her, concern all over his face, "Is he well? Is the boy well? How are you there, lad? Feeling a little tipsy, I say. Hold yourself together lad, I know you won't let me down now."

Arianna nodded weakly and shut her eyes trying to fight off the throbbing and the stinging. She couldn't back off like a weakling now, not in front of Uther or Lord Freso or the entire town of Vasdenin. She stood up, shook her head and slowly took a deep breath. The dull thud was silenced and the burn was disappearing. Arianna carefully opened her eyes and what she saw confused her. She blinked harder and rubbed her eyes but her sight didn't change. Everything seemed different, but her vision was completely unlike the one she had the previous day, it wasn't hazy or purplish, everything was a bright shade of red, black and green. She knew she hadn't said anything out of the ordinary or done anything strange and yet here she was seeing everything as abnormal as it can be but strangely as clear as day.

She faced Uther but couldn't make out his face through the bright colors but she knew he was wearing his repulsive expression as he growled, "What are you staring at, peasant rat?"

She said nothing and instead turned to Lord Freso and made a gesture that she was quite all right and ready to continue with the tournament. It bothered her even more that besides the strange vision she was having, Lord Freso had expressed his concern and obviously his special favor for her in front of everyone. She faced the target again and if she was seeing it though in her normal eyes, she would still have been staring in complete darkness but in her new night vision she saw a green circle in a distance that Arianna was surprise to realize that it wasn't really as far as she thought it was.

Nervously preparing her bow and arrow, she listened as Lord Freso signaled to everyone the recommence of the contest and tried to adjust to her new sight as she watched both Uther and the hunter aim miraculously straight into the target.

It was her turn and she smirked as her new sight boosted her confidence and sent her arrow straight into that target.

Finally, the target was at the most expectant hundred and fiftieth yard. The crowd held the breath and applauded uncontrollably as all three archers still managed to hit the center target.

The farthest range was broken as the target moved to about a hundred and eighty yards away.

Arianna's arm and back were already aching painfully and her fingers stung as well. She held her breath as she watched the hunter aim and shoot. She didn't hear the dull thud of the arrow but she knew it must have hit the target.

"Off the circle!" the distant call sounded and the crowd groaned and booed, the hunter was clearly the crowd favorite. The hunter, meanwhile, stood shocked for a moment, hardly believing his arrow had barely reached the center target. He walked off in a daze, his face in total distraught knowing that he would be clearly beaten by one of the much younger lads. He took the failure very painfully

Uther was next. His cold green eyes set; he lifted his bow and aimed at the target. His hand quivering slightly with the fury he bore towards the impudent peasant boy, the boy who hardly spoke at all, who hid his face beneath the shadow of his hat and whose inferiority meant nothing to a wealthy boy like Uther, in whose blood flowed the pride and honor of royalty, power and riches of the Val Halls. But this particular peasant captured far greater attention to himself than Uther had in his entire life. Jealousy boiled rapidly in Uther's veins and his focus was slightly deterred. He released his arrow with a cry of contempt and it flew high into the darkness.

"Three inches within the inner circle!" the call came and the crowd cheered again, their shrill voices echoed everywhere.

Uther relaxed and smiled smugly. It wasn't exactly a bulls eye hit but at least it was the closest he could get to the center and if this peasant's arrow would not land as close as his, he would be declared the champion.

Arianna's jaw dropped slightly in disbelief. This boy was as good as he boasted he was, but she immediately composed herself as Uther flashed his smug smile in her direction. She gave away no obvious expression and instead stepped up to the mark and readied her bow.

"Be prepared to swallow up your indecent words of yesterday, peasant rat. I will make certain you will…" came Uther's disdainful whisper from behind.

She ignored him, and lifted her bow. She could see her target in the night, she calculated quickly in her mind the best way to make her arrow fly without its course being disrupted by the breeze that was getting stronger. She knew she could hit that center mark… she had to. It was what she had come all the way for. It was already apparent to her that she was the gods' favor or else they would never have given her such strange visions. She couldn't even see the light glow of the fairies anymore.

Victory was close at hand; she could feel it in her bones. Soon, her long awaited prize will be achieved and she could face her grandfather again with no shame in her past actions, no matter how reprehensible. She could see her mind's eye, her grandfather waiting with open arms, a proud smile on his lips and happy tears in his eyes.

_This is for you grandfather…_

She was just about to let go of her arrow when she suddenly felt a hard jab at her back. Blood red stains and giant flames flickered in her eyes. She gasped in horror and surprise as she released her arrow before she meant to. Arianna heard some of the crowd gasp as well.

Her normal eyesight returned. She turned back to find Uther wearing a smile of triumph, his bow in his hand. She looked around to see if anyone had seen what he did, to see if anyone called out the foul move, but those who had made the shocked sound said nothing and it seemed their attention was for a moment not on the game but their gaze was directed somewhere else.

Arianna turned her attention back to the target, she saw the figure of the caller moving towards it and she waited with bated breath to hear if her arrow had made it or not.

"Three inches also within the inner circle!" she heard the call.

"WHAT?" Uther snarled in disbelief.

The crowd was murmuring nervously with one another.

Arianna didn't know whether to sigh in relief or explode with anger. The wind must have carried her off course arrow in to the right course but still she was leveled with Uther that meant they were both the Champions, she had meant to aim for the center, gain victory for her own and she could have attained it easily but she didn't. And why was no one reacting to this chaotic incident? A hundred thoughts flooded Arianna's head and she dropped her bow on the ground.

Turning to Uther, a violent flame raging in her brown eyes she clenched her hands into a fist knowing it was he who had maliciously distracted her. Uther's smile had vanished off his face just when the caller announced her arrow's position. The peasant hadn't lost. His treacherous attempt to gain victory over the peasant boy had proved futile and when Ari had faced him, Uther's green eyes were alight with a furious fire as vicious as Ari's.

"YOU!" Arianna cried but before she could take a step towards her foe, Uther was charging towards her.

"NO!"

Uther crashed into Arianna and knocked her to the ground, his balled fists raining on Arianna's face. She tried to protect herself with her arms as she heard him screaming,

"No! No! You lost! This was my victory! Mine! Mine! You worthless piece of filth! Insolent dog! Peasant scum! Rat!"

Arianna opened her eyes and saw Uther's face contorted with anger, and saw his fist nearly colliding with her nose. She turned her head and Uther howled in pain as his fist came in contact with the rough ground. Arianna took the moment of his paused beating to shove her knee into his stomach. The boy rolled off her as he clutched his midsection in agony, she then clambered on top of him and started attacking with punches of her own.

The raging struggle between the two had finally caught the attention of most of the crowd and a few hunters came running in to stop it. The town head was in a terrible state as he went about shouting for order; here were the two best archers and supposedly champions of the Archery tournament fighting like spoiled children on the ground and his people were in panic and confusion. Everything for him was all going terribly wrong and all his plans crushed and scattered.

Three men had managed to pry Arianna off Uther but just as both of them were on their feet, Arianna pulled free of her restrainers and yanked Uther back to the ground. They were tumbling, rolling on the ground, and hurling everything they got against each other. As they continued their brawl, Arianna rolled, felt a sharp rock slice her skin, tore her right sleeve and her hunting cap fall off but she hardly cared. All that mattered was that she made Uther feel the most terrible pain he had ever left, to take in all the anger and hurt she bore him, and to make him suffer as he never suffered before. She saw nothing except Uther's bleeding mouth; she was blinded by her own fury towards this boy.

The hunters had their hands once again on her shoulders, Uther's hand was clutching her outer vest and Arianna felt herself being roughly pulled away again. This time, there was a loud screeching rip and a tinkle of coins that rang in her ears after which she was flung abruptly to the ground. Arianna groaned in pain and was about to take on Uther once more when she looked up and saw that the hunters and Uther were staring down at her in shock and disbelief. Blood was flowing out of Uther's mouth and nose and dark bruises formed around his eyes and cheeks. But he didn't seem to notice as his green eyes were staring wide at her.

"Tis a woman!" one of the hunters gasped.

"Not just a woman, she's a bloody witch!" Uther spat.

Arianna's eyes flitted towards her bosom; her outer vest was torn in the middle revealing her white inner shirt where the outlines of her developing breasts were clearly seen. She immediately tried to cover them with her ripped vest but strands of her long scarlet hair fell unto her face and she knew that even if they hadn't seen her breasts, her ladylike scarlet hair would have told all. Her bag of gold coins had fallen and scattered on the ground but she didn't take notice of it. Instead she saw her shredded sleeve and the bright red star glowing brightly for all to see. She quickly hid her arm behind her back.

The crowd was in complete silence. All eyes were on her but none shown any compassion, joy or pity. They were cold, hard and cruel. Arianna looked around, Lord Freso had disappeared and to her utmost incredulity and shock, so had the fairies. The table was empty, not one fairy or tiny glowing light could be seen anywhere. They were gone. Arianna knew that she had put herself in the worst situation imaginable; the situation she had been trying to evade.

"I-I…c-can explain." She stuttered frightfully in her normal voice. Her heart was racing furiously with fear and Arianna was racking her mind for a plan, but her thoughts were a blank. She tried to stand but her legs were quivering so badly, she slopped back to the ground.

"Mother look! It's Arianna!" she heard a shriek call out from the crowd and she turned to head to find herself facing Luli and her family.

"So it is! That's the little vixen that nearly burned our house down! I should have suspected she had to be a witch!" Madam Lilianne snarled.

"Only a witch could have the insolence to break the most important and vital rule for women in Vasdenin!" Luli declared vehemently.

Arianna was speechless. This was it. It was all over for her now. Her secret was out and revealed and she knew that if she stayed on that ground, she would soon be taken to her death. Arianna saw the hunters moving in to take her. But just before she could, she scrambled to her feet and darted into the crowd narrowly escaping the clutches of the hunters, running as fast as she could away from the archery field.

"After her!" she heard the town head bellow.

Arianna ran as fast as her legs could take her. She dove in and out of tents, knocking over tables and lanterns, running into shrubs and flowers, jumping on benches, shoving past people until she had raced as fast and as far as she could out of the town square. She couldn't quite clearly see where she was heading, all that she knew was that she had to keep running. She could hear the angry voices and the heavy steps of her pursuers behind her.

She ran into houses and even climbed up rooftops. It was only when she jumped down from one rooftop to the other and over a fence unto a small pile of hey that she knew she might be safe. She was behind a small wooden house and she saw a large crate. Stepping out of the hay, she moved quickly towards it. Opening it, she tossed out the buckets and pails that were inside and slid in. She pressed herself into the darkness of her cramped space, hoping no one could see or find her in there. She breathed in short quick silent gasps. Easing her heart to beat more slowly. She saw three men and two women walk past her holding up lanterns, and torches. She breathed a sigh of relief when they had gone and started to think of a plan to get out of Vasdenin.

While she was thinking, the pain and aches of the previous moments ago suddenly came down on her. Her right arm was bleeding; her face felt all puffy and raw and her legs and arms were throbbing excruciatingly. Her lucky escape had made all her aches feel even more agonizing. She knew she wouldn't last the night by simply running back to the fields. She had to find a horse. But where could she look for one?

She had to find a way out or else be subjected to hiding inside that crate till someone would find her or until she would die of starvation. Her night of supposedly fulfilled dreams was turning into a nightmare filled with nothing but endless debacle and torture.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"_**Flight of Crows"**_

Arianna pulled her knees towards her chest and rested her chin on them. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to sort out the jumble behind the night's events.

Not less than thirty minutes ago, she was poised in action, admired by all and ready to take her victory as Ari, the peasant boy. Then, in a flash she was here, in a wooden crate alone, hiding from the world because she knew that if she would ever be caught, she would die. Condemned for being a traitor, a liar and a witch. She glanced at her right arm, her mark was still shining bright red, and she cursed at it as she hid it beneath her torn vest.

Reflecting back to the events of the night, she now realized why the crowd had been distracted from seeing Uther's foul play. They had all been struck with shock when they noticed the fairies' mysterious disappearance. Arianna wondered to herself, when, where and why had all the fairies gone? She remembered that small voice she heard earlier and it's warning.

_Saedi Thies _it called her. Now, what in Kannaham's name did that mean? In fact what did the whole message mean? She hardly understood a single word of it. Except the word flee… The fairies knew who she was, Arianna remembered as she recalled the fairy king's crystal white eyes staring deeply into her own. They knew something that she didn't know and when they saw her and that golden nightingale, they grew anxious and afraid. Why?

But Arianna knew this wasn't the time or place to understand the ways of the magical creatures of the East. She had to find a way out of Vasdenin without being seen. Then she thought of Lord Freso, he was the only man in Vasdenin kind enough to her, though she knew he would be a bit shocked if she came up to him after finding out she was really a woman and not the poor lad he helped the other night. Still, she would explain her side and maybe he would show pity and compassion then maybe could somehow help her.

But just as Arianna started to climb out of the crate, she heard footsteps and low voices approaching; she slumped back down and covered her mouth with her hand to soften her breathing.

There were two hunters approaching and they stopped just inches away from Arianna's crate that Arianna almost believed they would look right into it or hear her breathing and find her. But the hunters did neither and instead were caught up in their conversation.

"Have they located the whereabouts of the red haired witch?" one of them asked.

The other shook his head, "No, they believe that she might be hiding within one of these houses, our fellow brothers have already begun their search."

"Shouldn't we join them?" the first man asked with concern.

"Not yet. There is still a certain matter that I have to attend to without delay." the second man replied gravely.

"Lord Freso?" the other man guessed in a low voice.

His partner grunted, "That devious conniving piece of filth is unfit for the title Lord. Not after what he's done. I just pray that I get to him quick enough, so I might still get my chance to slaughter his black heart out before I take back what's mine.

Arianna's eyes flew open; they were planning to kill Lord Freso!

"I agree. After all his promises about paying us back tenfold if we placed a good amount of gold in that lad's name at the archery contest and convincing us to believe in the lad's remarkable skill and sure win. I would dare say we were all made great fools of. Since I didn't even make the slightest hesitation in throwing down fifty gold pieces in his name."

"Well, I count you lucky, my dear brother, I gave up a hundred gold pieces for that lad who turned out to be a woman and a fraudulent witch herself. I had an inkling that that Freso man was up to no good from the very start. He deliberately conned us all and I won't rest till I have my gold back, down to every last bloody piece!" the second man growled.

"Then let us hurry, my friend, before that yellow bellied coward makes his escape with all our gold. He was in his right mind to disappear once that girl was found out. But he won't fly too far."

The two men left in haste, leaving Arianna with hot tears in her eyes as she begun realizing the true intentions of Lord Freso, he was merely using her, bribing her to do her best just so he could win a inconsequential bet.

_Isn't there any honest being in this town that I can trust?_

She roughly wiped away her tears streaming down her face and she decided that there was no one she could depend on except herself, as always, she knew that one way or another it would always end up this way. She should have realized this sooner but now it was too late.

Suddenly there was another noise outside her crate and she looked out and saw a figure of a small boy heading towards her, stopping to look around in confusion at the clutter of pails. Arianna recognized him as the servant boy from The Golden Eagle Inn, the one she had bestowed her generosity upon. She smiled to herself; she might have a chance to escape after all.

"Boy!" she called out in a hushed whisper.

The boy stood up straight and stiff, "Who's there?" he called in a frightened little voice.

"Boy! Come over to the crate. I must speak with you!" she said urgently.

The small boy walked carefully towards the crate, "W-Who are you?"

Arianna stood up and the boy gasped in horror. She stepped out of the crate and dusted herself off, "Don't be frightened. Tis only I, Arianna. Do you remember?"

He nodded, "Of course, Lady Arianna. How could I forget? You were so kind to me. But aren't you the one they are looking for?"

Arianna frowned, "Who are they?"

"The men. The great hunters They say there is a witch hidden among us with bright red hair and a glowing red mark of a star." He said in a scared whisper.

Arianna placed both her hands on the boy's shoulders, "Listen to me very carefully, I have no intention of lying to you, so I will confess. Yes, I am the one they are looking for but, you must believe, I am no witch!"

The boy jerked away from her just as she said the word witch, Arianna straightened up with her hands opened in defense, "You must understand. I am no more a witch than you are. I am just a girl that's been… greatly misunderstood."

But the boy showed no signs of believing her.

Arianna bent down until she had leveled her eyes with his, "If I was a witch, I would have killed you and everyone else in a snap of my finger."

The boy jerked again as Arianna snapped her finger as she said it.

"But as you can see, I have done no such horrible thing. Remember what I told you last night, boy? You are far better than anyone here in this town, any boy in this town. I swear to the gods above, you will not regret this. So please, will you help me? I promise neither you nor anyone else will get hurt."

Arianna waited as the boy eyed her warily, his trust wavering and Arianna held her breath hoping she wouldn't turn on her like everyone else.

Suddenly the boy nodded slowly and Arianna managed a small smile of relief, "Good. Thank the gods! Now tell me, where can I attain a fast steed without anyone seeing me?"

"In the inn's stables. The stable boy is probably not on his post as he left for the festival so there's no one guarding the guest's horses and I've been to the stables, there are a lot of big strong horses there, I believe. They will ride far and fast."

Arianna smiled gently, "Lead on, boy."

The boy smiled back, "Alright then, follow me."

He ran ahead of her and turned into what looked like a small back alley and then going far down a dark path. Arianna immediately trailed behind him and tried her best to keep up with his quick feet but she couldn't help stumbling a few times in the dark. She heard distant voices and shouts but she took no heed of them and concentrated on keeping her head low and following the boy. She realized that they must be going down the small path behind the wooden fences of some houses and she fervently hoped that none of the hunters would ever think of going that way. Glancing up, Arianna noticed that the once clear night sky had swiftly grown dark and gloomy as if rain was nearly about to fall but there was no whiff of rain in the air.

The bright lights coming from the windows of the Golden Eagle Inn lit up the dark path as they approached the back part of the inn. The boy signaled to Arianna to walk as slowly and as silently as possible as he looked around to see if anyone was close by but there hardly seemed to be anyone in the inn.

"The other boys must be already in their beds or still at the festival. Come, Lady Arianna, we must hurry if we are to get your noble steed from the stables." He whispered cautiously.

Arianna merely nodded and followed him to the back door of the stables. Pushing the large wooden door, it creaked noisily and the warm scent of hay and beast filled Arianna's nostrils. It briefly reminded her of the barn as she stepped inside behind the boy, the hay crunching softly beneath her feet as she listened to the snorts and sounds of the horses. The stable was sturdily built with large thick wood but it wasn't as large or as spacious as it should be for an inn's stable. The stalls were narrowly built together and the horses' watering basin could hardly fill enough water sufficient for two horses how much more ten. Large grunting steeds occupied nearly all of the fifteen stalls, ten of which were recently taken.

"Choose one." The boy said. Arianna looked around, not quite sure what exactly she was searching for. All she knew was that she needed a fast horse without delay, time was against her and if she didn't pick one out now, the hunters might appear at any moment.

All the horses were clearly well bred stallions, three were black, one had a mixed brownish white color, four were pure white, another was deep dark brown and the last one had light hay colored hair.

In the end, Arianna selected one of the black ones since she knew that they would benefit the greatest under the cover of night. She took down a large black coat that was hanging on a hook from the wall just by the stable door and donned it since she had forgotten her own grey cloak back at the archery field. The boy silently watched as Arianna opened the stall door of one of the black stallions. The black steed, clearly aware that the human approaching was neither his master nor the stable boy, reared up on his hind legs, neighing wildly but couldn't move back due to the limited space in his stall.

Arianna paused, her knuckles turned white as she gripped the swinging stall door. Trying hard to push back the memory of Helli doing exactly the same thing and nearly knocking her down with his great hoofs. She took a deep breath and tried not to show any sign of fear or reluctance. She boldly stepped forward, grabbed the stallion mane and gently stroked his nose.

_Please don't be so difficult. I need to get out of here and I need you to help me. Please…_she begged silently as she continued stroking the black stallion. Looking directly into his eyes, she continued her unspoken plea and it seemed that the stallion understood her. He stood very still and the tension faded fast. When Arianna was sure the stallion wouldn't resist her anymore, she led it carefully out the stall door.

She turned to look at the boy and then saw that he was staring at her with his mouth agape, "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Arianna asked as she took the saddle, bridle and reins hanging on the wall.

"Make him so calm and silent. I heard black stallions are too dangerous to handle even by their masters and even more dangerous with strangers but you achieved it in no less than a blink of an eye. Are you sure you're not a witch?"

Arianna gave him a half-smile, "I told you, boy… I'm no witch. I simply… have a special talent when it comes to animals, especially horses. I have two of my own back in the fields."

The boy stayed silent as Arianna saddled the stallion. When she was done, she mounted the stallion with such speed and ease that it seemed as if it was as simple as walking and standing.

"What is your name, my friend?" Arianna asked.

"John." The boy replied

"John. Well, my dear John. I believe that sadly this is farewell. I don't know how I am ever going to repay you but believe me if it were within my power I would give you all the pleasures and riches in the world for all these simple favors you have done for my sake."

"Fear not, Lady Arianna, what you have given me is worth more than any amount of wealth in this world."

Arianna smiled at him, not wanting to ask what it was exactly that she had given. Instead she gratefully bowed her head and he returned the gesture.

"Farewell John." Arianna said and without another word, she signaled the black stallion into an immediate gallop and raced out of the stables.

"May the gods guide you on your journey." John called out but Arianna was already a good distance away to hear him or even reply to t he Northern aphorism and even if she did hear him, she wouldn't dare reply for she knew very well, she was never going to return.

Arianna rode out unto a road that was dimly lit and veering closely to the shadowy forest. She could see the main gate coming to view but she knew better than to turn back to the main road, very much aware it was heavily guarded. Arianna slowed her stallion to a halt, dismounted silently and her black steed by the reins. She walked far away from the large closed doors, following instead the high wooden wall that surrounded the town, wondering how she could manage to escape without being seen. Trailing her hand along the wooden planks, she suddenly felt a damp spot. A part of the long tall fence was damp with what seemed like water that was carelessly splashed into it. Arianna knew how brittle this kind of wood can be when moistened, so hoping that she wasn't making too much noise, she kicked tenaciously at it. After a few strong strikes, the wood broke off, making a hole big enough for a small child to crawl in. Arianna kicked some more at the slightly damp areas and pulled away a few planks as well, until she made an exit just wide enough for the horse and herself.

Panting heavily, her hands stinging from the roughness of the wood and the intensity of the force she had exerted, Arianna led her stallion through the gaping hole in the wall and out into the wide grounds. Smiling triumphantly, she leapt back unto her horse and sped away into the darkness. But then, instead of going at a more relaxed pace knowing that her pursuers were far behind her now, she redoubled her stallions velocity, leaning forward with her thighs gripping tightly into the horse's side. She didn't know why, but she knew that she had to hurry back home as fast as she could go.

Suddenly, a glint of gold caught Arianna's eye, she looked up and saw something flying high above her. She slowed the horse's pace a bit to get a clearer view and soon made out the golden nightingale that was set loose earlier. It was holding something long, slender and solid in its beak. Arianna squinted her eyes to see what it was. As if on cue, the moon peeked out of the darkening clouds and shined on the nightingale that glittered brilliantly in the nighttime sky. The etched name on the far end of the object made her realize that it was a bow, her bow!

The nightingale swerved unexpectedly to the right and Arianna without a second thought urged her stallion to head in the same direction. She tried her best to keep up with it but the bird was flying farther and farther from her sight. Until, it had disappeared into the dark forest, diving into the trees.

Arianna pulled the reins and the stallion skidded to a stop. Her mind was racked in confusion, pulling both ways. A part of her knew she had to keep moving on, she had to get back home but the other part was telling her that she needed her bow back urgently as well. She was motionless for a moment, trying to contemplate her situation.

Arianna knew that out of all the important rules her grandfather had set out for her, the most important and most forbidden one was setting foot into the forests of Vasdenin. Throughout all the years of Arianna's life, she had hardly any serious complaint against that rule… until that night. Her bow, her greatest and most precious item was taken away from her and was now somewhere deep inside that forest, may the gods forbid her to just let it lie there in the possession of that horrid nightingale. She couldn't…she wouldn't… but she knew she had to.

The distant sounds of an approaching horse made Arianna jerk her head up in surprise. She immediately turned her horse around to see who was coming her way; she saw a lone dark figure making its way towards her. Just when she was about to drive her horse into mad dash, the other rider called out in an all too familiar voice.

"Wait! Stop! Halt!"

"Hollin?" Arianna voiced out in bewildered tone. Her friend's sudden appearances in unlikely and yet extremely dire situations left Arianna stunned, "What in Kannaham's name are you doing out here? How in the world did you find me?"

His face was pale and sweaty, great angst written all over him as he ventured nearer to Arianna, "Arianna? Oh thank the gods I found you! After what had happened at the tournament, knowing you as I do, I thought I would have lost you and you would have fled for good."

Arianna noticed that he was extremely relieved to find her but that didn't stop him from trembling so strongly, "Hollin, what's happened? What's wrong? You look scared to death!"

"Arianna, something very unusual is coming about and I have no notion about what it is but I do know its something terrible. Watchmen from our fields have been bringing strange reports to the town head; I've overheard them sometime tonight. Something about dark knights on fiery horses approaching very swiftly. I don't know if they mean good or harm but I do know they will be bringing trouble, they would pass our fields long before the moon reaches the center of the sky."

Both looked upwards, it was still shy of midnight but the moon so faded and distant it was difficult to be certain it was not nearing its climax point.

"We have to get back to the fields, Arianna. We have to warn people and get our families far away before that strange company arrives. Come! We must ride now!" Uther declared urgently.

Arianna made ready to go but something held her back and she turned her head towards the forest. Her bow…

"Arianna?" Hollin called.

Frowning with determination, Arianna suddenly said fiercely with a strange glint in her brown eyes, "Give me any weapon you have on you this instant, Hollin. That revolting gold bird stole my bow, I have to get it back no matter what the cost and maybe I could have that bird as well."

Hollin's eyes wide with perplexity, "What? But Arianna we must—"

"I know! I know, Hollin! But I'm useless without any weapon, just let me obtain my bow again and we could fly straight away to the fields. Turn them over! Your quiver as well!"

Hollin, trembling even more, handed her his weapons with reluctance and confusion.

"You must ride on ahead without me. I wouldn't want you to linger around here for me. I'll see you back at the fields. I promise I will be as quick as a fox, all right?" Arianna assured him as she shouldered his quiver and bow.

But seeing as Hollin made no move, she snapped, "Go now, will you! Trust me! I'll be well. Go!"

"ARIANNA!" she heard Hollin call after her but she did not care to heed him as she sped away into the direction of the forest, stopping slightly in front of it, nearly having second thoughts about her desperate decision, but then dismissing her thoughts, she goaded her stallion a little hesitantly into the dense dark forest.

Soon she was enveloped in complete darkness, tiny bits of sky were seen through the small gaps between the leaves and branches of the dark and massive trees. Unusual, eerie sounds filled Arianna's ears and the hairs on her skin and the back of her neck was raised, a sudden chill flooded her veins and trickled down her spine. She sensed her stallion agitation growing every step of the way. Every sudden sound or movement made Arianna's pulse quicken and her nerves jitter relentlessly. Gripping tightly unto the reins as she journeyed deeper into the forest. She felt a tinge of familiarity with her surroundings and Arianna stopped, startled by her sense of déjà vu.

The very atmosphere of the forest was not appealing to Arianna at all and without another thought of her bow or the nightingale, she tried to turn back but then it seemed that everything, every direction she turned was identical, dark, musky and unnatural.

Fear crept up Arianna's skin and she turned cold and clammy, her stallion trudging to and fro with distress. Arianna prodded it forward somewhere in the dark, knowing that she was undeniably lost in the middle of a tangled forest. Just as she was about to lose all hope of finding her way back outside, she miraculously caught sight of her bow hanging on a high branch in a small clearing in the middle of the dark forest.

She headed quickly towards it but just as her hand stretched upwards to reach for it, the golden nightingale alighted from above and unto the bow, eyeing her mockingly with its red ruby eyes before it flew off with the bow in its talons into another tree. Arianna climbed down off her steed and raced to the tree where the bird had landed on. Stepping unto a small-elevated stone structure, she took an arrow from the quiver and fitted it to Hollin's bow, aiming directly at the heart of the nightingale. The golden bird sung a soft note and took off once again into the forest before Arianna could release.

Cursing under her breath, she chased after it on foot. Shooting arrow after arrow but all carelessly fell unto the ground or else caught in the trunk of a tree. When a number of her arrows started dwindling, Arianna grew more and more frustrated. Finally with only three arrows left in her quiver, she took out the third one and ran with it readily fitted on the string.

The nightingale surprisingly dropped down on the ground, the bow it let fall before her feet as it landed on a branch that was in level with her raised bow. It stared at her haughtily daring her to shoot. Arianna hesitated no longer and without bothering to figure out why the nightingale had let loose of the bow so soon, she shot her arrow straight to its heart.

The nightingale made no move to escape and as the arrow pierced straight into its chest, a bright beam of purple and gold burst forth from its open wound and with a loud cry it crumbled into black ashes.

Arianna breathed a heavy sigh when it had finally disappeared. She shouldered Hollin's bow and was just about to bend down to pick up her own when the most dreadful noises of all sounded high above her. A sound that she thought would only remain in her darkest dreams. But this wasn't a dream and the sound was as real as the rapid thumping of her heart.

_No… It can't be… Crows!_

Before she could make the slightest move, a large black swarm descended rapidly unto her, the loud cawing rang sharply in her ears and she shrieked in pain as tiny sharp beaks and claws scratched her face, neck, arms and torso. Shielding her head with her left arm, her right hand felt for her bow on the ground and when she picked it up, tried to swat away the raucous crows but they were hardly daunted by her meager defense. Clawing and scratching her all the more, Arianna felt an oozy substance trickle down her cheek and arms. The crows were almost on the verge of literally ripping her to pieces when Arianna gave one loud cry of anger, pain and despair that the star shaped mark on her arm glowed a deep bloody red and its sharp beams blinded the crow hordes that they flew sideways in a confused cluster.

Arianna scrambled rapidly back into the forest, scurrying as fast as her legs could carry her, having no sense of direction or realization as to where she was heading to. It seemed as though she was passing back and forth from her dreams to reality as she ran through the trees of the dark forest.

Stumbling aimlessly on roots and rocks, scraping her elbows and knees through sharp brambles that stuck on the side, she wondered when this terrible nightmare would end.

After what seemed to her like endless hours of torture and running, Arianna thrust herself forward and she tumbled down into a small heap outside the edge of the forest. She lay unmoving for a while on the rough soil, not wanting to open her eyes, wanting so much to just lie there numb and cold. Praying that it was finally all over, that she would wake up back in her own bed in her grandfather's cottage or else that she had already died and would wake up in Kannaham, the blissful heaven of the immortals and the gods.

But when she finally forced herself to open up her eyes, she found that none of her prayers had come true. A surge of pain swept over Arianna and she groaned helplessly. Her open wounds and bruises stinging excruciatingly as she made an attempt to roll over on her side since she was lying face down to the ground. She found it too difficult, too impossible to sit up much less stand upright again but she knew that if she didn't want to spend the rest of the night bleeding on the ground, she had to make a move. Mustering all her strength, she gritted her teeth as she pushed herself up with her palms on the ground. She finally settled in a kneeling position, Arianna looked at her shoulder and saw a great big gash oozing blood. She agonizingly shrugged off her shredded and bloodied vest and laboriously tried to wrap it around her wound, in the end it didn't give her a lot of comfort or lessened the pain but at least it would somehow stop the heavy bleeding.

Clutching tightly at the bandaged wound after shouldering her bow which she managed to carry out of the forest, Arianna somehow managed to stagger to her feet. She looked around her, the area looked slightly familiar to her and Arianna realized she must not be that far off from her grandfather's cottage. Trying hard to recall which direction she should turn to, Arianna swerved around and when she did, a small gasp escaped her cracked lips.

_No…Oh Gods…No…Please no… _

A sight she thought only her dreams could conjure.

The sky was no longer a dark grey color but instead it was glowing bright red orange. Where she would have seen the rooftops of the barns, mills and cottages, Arianna's eyes only reflected the growing flames licking up everything in her sight. A tear fell from Arianna's pain stricken eyes and she stood motionless glancing at the dancing shades of red, orange and bright yellow blazes engulf the entire place in a mass of hot, burning fire.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 

"**_Flame and Shadow"_**

Arianna stared entranced at the flames; hot tears gushing down her scratched cheek. Without any knowledge, Arianna immediately started taking one step after the other, walking with extreme difficulty towards the direction of the roaring fire. All sense of rationality and well-being left her thoughts and the only thing she focused on was getting as quickly as she could to her home, the home she left behind in search of a better life, the home she was slowly about to lose because of her leaving it in the first place. The moon was completely hidden behind the blackish clouds and the wind blew cold and harsh, stinging her open wounds.

On foot, Arianna struggled onwards down the small sloping hill and entered into a field of high growing wheat stalks. Pushing her way through the tall pale shoots, she may not have noticed but she was heaving heavily with sobs, her chest shaking madly with her every sigh and her thoughts were all a large tangle of sticky webs. Questions of grief, anger, bitterness, regret and blame came shouting out till the only question she wanted to scream out was… _why?_

_Why? Why? Why? Why?_

Her foot sunk into a hole of damp mud and she dropped heavily unto the ground, Arianna wiped away her flowing tears with a bloody and filthy hand as she stood back up and continued to plow through the wide field of crops. Once again, she felt as if she was walking in a dream like state, how could everything that was happening to her so fast and so terribly be real? Stumbling and staggering miserably, her physical pain starting to become numb as a more powerful anguish inside her tortured her even more.

_Grandfather… grandfather… no…_

Finally, she reached the other end of the fields, which was at a close distance to a burning structure, which she remembered to be the wheat mill. The heat of the flames blew strongly towards her and the only sound she heard was the cackling of the fire devouring every material it caught on to. Her damp face, still shining with tears, at last ceased. Her cold body immediately warmed by the heat of the terrible roaring flames. Arianna looked around in panic, her surreal façade fading tersely, her eyes widened as she glanced around for somebody… anybody who could tell her where she could find her grandfather.

But the ash covered dirt road and the searing edifices were empty. Arianna broke into what you might call a half-run. Her right leg supporting all her weight as her left one throbbed excruciatingly when moved. She edged away from the flaming houses as she began looking for her own, trying hard to remember where it was situated amidst the blaze, heat and smoke.

Then, she realized that she had to go through the blazing furnace to seek her cottage; she held her breath and pressed on, dodging falling scraps of smoldering debris. Her body was drenched with her heavy trickling sweat that made her sore wounds sting all the more. A large piece of burning wood tumbled from one house and nearly rolled her over had Arianna not foreseen it coming and jumped quickly aside. Her body was boiling in the heat and she felt light headed as she kept on. Her lungs felt cramped and ached for fresh air, she could hardly breathe. Then, Arianna saw it.

_The barn!_

There it was, the red barn, highflying flames all around it. Arianna dared not try to take a step towards it, but she desperately wanted to find out if the animals got out and were somewhere, safe and unharmed. Limping towards the large shelter, expecting to see the barn door flung wide open, and the tracks of the beasts on the dusty ground, she cried out in horror when she saw that the door was barred with a long log stuck through the handle and there were no tracks of any kind on the ground. She moved closer and stopped suddenly when in the midst of the cackling of the flames, she heard many loud thuds on the door. She waited and prayed that at least the horses or even Bettina would make it through. She lingered anxiously.

The pounding then stopped, the eerie wailing of creatures in agonizing pain sliced through the flames and there followed, to Arianna's most horrid surprise and bewilderment, the cry of humans from within.

Arianna turned away from the revolting site and headed for her cottage, which unlike the previous ones, had just newly started to burn. Sprinting as fast as she could on her good leg towards since the small wooden cottage was crumbling and blazing away at a very rapid pace. She swallowed hard at the sight of her burning home and moving quickly, she frantically started searching for her grandfather.

_Grandfather, where are you?_

Staggering here and about, Arianna looked everywhere, screaming out his name in a hoarse voice,

"Grandfather! Grandfather! Answer me! Grandfather!"

She ran towards the opposite side of the cottage and when she did, she stopped once again and closed her eyes. The gruesome feeling she had inside was sinking deeply into her. Everything was too familiar! She had been here before, seen all these images before, she then realized her pain of anguish was felt by her before as well. Now, she was stiff and immovable with fright, afraid about what she knew… what she will be about to see, petrified with the thought that all her nightmares were transpiring into reality… scared to face the last crucial scene of her horrendous vision.

When she turned the corner, it seemed for a moment that the world had stopped turning and time had froze. It was as if she was walking in her sleep, she wanted to believe she was still dreaming but she couldn't. Arianna stepped forward and slowly opened her eyes, watching in slow motion as the moving flames ate up her home. Her eyes turned to a figure lying supine on the ground, a safe distance away from the heat of the flames, in what seemed to be a pool of dark liquid. It was her old grandfather, Baltook.

His name at first came at a whisper from Arianna's dry lips as she budge her heavy feet towards him, then it grew increasingly louder, tainted with craze and emotion as she rushed towards his side, dropping the empty quiver and her bow on the ground.

"Grandfather! Grandfather! Oh! Grandfather!"

Falling heavily on her knees into the dark liquid, which she knew but did not want to believe, was her grandfather's blood. Crying out aloud, fresh tears bursting out from her eyes as she clutched his withered, bloody hand and held it close to cheek. She surveyed her grandfather excruciatingly with the light of the powerful flames, his old grey eyes were closed, his clothes torn and ripped leaving him almost half-naked, and long and deep gashes were bleeding strongly across his aged gaunt face and skeletal body. Burns and blisters were all over him as well and he looked as battered and beaten as an old decaying piece of cloth.

Arianna wondered if he could still be alive, she gripped his hand with one of her own while the other hand caressed his face as she pleaded despondently, "Grandfather… please! Wake up! I've come home, dear grandfather. Please, open your eyes. I'm home. I'm home, grandfather. I've come back."

She waited for him to respond, but her grandfather lay still. She gasped out in despair and laid her head on his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Whispering his name over and over again.

Then, miraculously, the old man stirred a little, trying to speak, then mumbled weakly and inaudibly,

"Arianna…"

Arianna's head jerked up at the sound of his deep, familiar and loving voice calling her name, she timidly said, "Grandfather?"

He whispered her name again and Arianna called louder, "Grandfather!"

Filled with immense relief, joy and renewed hope, she instantly took her grandfather's head into her arms and held him gently rocking back and forth, smiling wearily through her tears. Hardly believing he was still alive, she stroked his thinning silver hair that was streaked with blood and spoke in a soft voice,

"You're alive! Oh grandfather, I knew you would never leave me. How could I go on without you? You're alive! We're together once again. Oh grandfather, you must know how much I've missed you so. I—"

"A-Arianna!" Baltook cried out interrupting her. His eyes opened wide with an emotion Arianna was not familiar with. Arianna looked at him with immediate concern and worry, wondering if he was in such deep pain.

"What is it, grandfather? Tell me!" she asked as she watched her grandfather trying with difficulty to make out his words, his hand on her arm gripped her with such unnatural force and Arianna recognized that the emotion that shined in his eyes was not pain, it was fear.

"The box! Wooden box! You must retrieve the box! Arianna, fetch me the box! It is hidden underneath my mattress. Arianna! Hurry! Before it is too late! Hurry! Hurry!" Baltook gasped as he painfully spoke to his granddaughter, clutching her sleeve with a tight grip before releasing abruptly and heaving in husky gasps.

Arianna, thrust backward, looked back towards the flaming cottage and casting one bewildered glance at her grandfather's mangled figure and guttural cries of pain, she pushed herself up from the ground and faced the sweltering heat that blew harshly at her. The lower section of the cottage had not yet been engulfed with flames, and the back door was flung wide open, its light material slowly catching fire. Arianna had to move fast if she wished to comply with her grandfather's fraught command, it was pure folly to dash in to a burning house, but the commonsensical ability she had had already dissolved a long time ago and it had not yet returned. So, without a second thought, and the urgency of her grandfather's voice ringing in her head, she held her breath and ran inside.

Thick black smoke and the sizzling heat of the fire engulfed Arianna and stung her light brown eyes, causing it to water. Rubbing the back of her hand, across her eyes, she bent down towards the cracked wooden floor and started crawling. The fiery ceiling was crumbling above her, as she crawled through debris, ash and other burning material to reach her grandfather's room just on the other side.

She hardly took notice of how disheveled and wrecked the kitchen had been, broken chairs, tables and antiquities. Torn pages, shattered glass, pottery and wood littered the floor. Arianna brushed all these obstacles aside as she passed through… she was nearly there. When she reached her grandfather's room, Arianna could hold her breath no longer and as she gasped out and breathed in the dark smoke, her lungs shrunk and she choked. The heat and haze was making her extremely dizzy and lightheaded, she nearly swayed to the ground but she caught herself and moved inside. Sputtering and convulsing tremendously, she glanced around with watery eyes for Baltook's mattress.

She found it covered with black rubble and dust towards her left and she clambered towards it. Shoving her hand underneath the black mattress, she felt around scrupulously for something, anything! But nothing came in contact with her hand except the wooden floor that slowly heating up. Arianna looked up, the ceiling was nearly coming down with flames and if she didn't hurry, she would be pinned beneath the flaming wood. Her body was burning in the heat and her lungs begging for air, Arianna pleaded with mercy to the gods,

_Please! Don't take me away just yet! Please! Help me!_

Arianna pushed her arm deeper into the mattress till her cheek brushed against the black grime and her fingertips felt the hot wall, running her hand all over for object she was seeking for. The cackling roar of the flames deafened her resounding cry as she searched deeper. Then, she suddenly felt a thin piece of material that was coarse and torn; she grabbed a handful of the material and started to tug it out from underneath the mattress. Arianna knew she had to move quickly to remove the item or else pass out from the heat, smoke and flames. Thrusting her other arm in and diving underneath the thick mattress she grunted with effort as she pulled the object, cloth and all, out from underneath. It was a rather large burden to hold, wrapped carefully in a used blanket, but it was bearably light and without a moment to lose, Arianna scrambled out from the room just as loud cracking noise followed after her. The ceiling had finally fallen right upon the very spot Arianna had been lying on. If she had lingered for a few more moments, she would have been dead. Not wanting to remain any longer than needed, she rushed, as quickly as her injured leg would allow, to the back door with her head bent down and the covered object pressed to her chest.

When Arianna had burst out of the flaming door, the back of her shirt had caught fire. Like a large sword of burning steel was pressed to her spine, the fire blistered her and she screamed in excruciating pain. Arianna then staggered to the hard soil outside, she dropped on her knees and rolled her limp body over and over till the flames had been extinguished. Turning to her side, she winced as the scalded skin of her back was exposed to the chilly breeze that whisked by. The swathed box still in her arms, she remembered her grandfather. If she were in an average person's state, her body would not permit her to move a single inch more after being bruised, cut, sprained and burned but her strong willed mind and her passionate heart forbade her to lie immovable on the ground. Her long, tangled scarlet hair was slight burnt and soiled with ashes, dust and grime; her tanned skin was coarse, wounded and bleeding.

Her grandfather's body was not far off, she moved in the most painless way she could manage towards him, the box under her left arm as her right arm aided her in motion, as she crawled towards Baltook.

When she finally reached him, she pushed herself up with her palms on the bloody ground, every muscle, nerve and bone in her tore and stretched as she rose in a sitting position looking over the old man.

"Grandfather…" Arianna whispered as she gently shook him. "I've taken the box. It's here in my arms, safe and whole. I've done what you asked of me. Grandfather? Please speak to me…"

But her grandfather dull grey eyes shone with an unnatural light, staring into oblivion, fixed upon an unknown world somewhere Arianna could not see.

His mouth was moving rapidly, but no sound escaped from his lips. It was as if another spirit had taken possession of his body and mind.

Arianna shook him gently, "Grandfather! Grandfather, please…"

But Baltook remained in his anomalous state, Arianna shook him harder with more desperation in her voice…

"Grandfather! Oh gods please! Let him answer me! Grandfather!"

Then, from his mouth emerged the distinct sounds of a strange and faraway tongue, soft and mystically slurred, almost as if he were singing the words to her.

Arianna felt a strange aura enclose around her and in her head she could hear a slow numinous voice resonating in the air, moving in and out like a soft breeze, then she felt something gentle and comforting embrace her from behind,

_Ďėŏ ŏū ģōę ěöñ εǎŦ Ёχτ řľŞ_

_Ĥĕ Ōĵě ěŖŐūŋ _

_Đô õũ ōİīţŏ ŎāĜĚ Čľą έίαδ Ŋžĳ Ōưΰžš ƠũǍ _

_Ďėŏ ŏū Ǎžǽŷś Šýù Ĵİį_

_Ęß Û ĭóĥģ äęķѓї Ãήǐωǻςį_

_Ďėŏ ŏū ģōę ěöñ εǎŦ Ёχτ řľŞ_

_Ĥĕ Ōĵě ěŖŐūŋ _

_ŹэΪ Ѕηǎ ƯрнСŕ Ĵň Ţǎı ЋǎŨ ŦŉǾ_

_Μū őōŧŧơ Ǎžžšέυ_

_Ãήǐωǻςį Ęß Û ĭóĥģ äęķѓї…_

The voice slowly faded away. Arianna opened her eyes and as she tried to ruminate as to what had taken place, she glanced around her. It was as if she was looking at the world with new eyes, everything seemed so different when in fact nothing had changed. The distress and the turmoil she had felt so strongly was ebbed away and she somehow felt as if she was leaning against a comforting fortification, drawing strength and hope from it, but though Arianna's tears had dried, she still felt that perplexing nerve tingling within her and she was filled with doubt as she looked at her grandfather with troubled eyes.

His voice was softened to a mere murmur and the enigmatic blankness of his eyes regained its natural color. Then, as if for the first time realizing Arianna was looking over him, he started. His grey eyes widened with disbelief and wonder as he stared up at her. Arianna managed a small wincing smile, but her grandfather failed to return it with another.

He was silent for a moment as Arianna held her arm underneath his head and she called out his name again.

Baltook replied, "Arianna… Ýë ñõėė ĆêÍ àáŁ ŉīď Đôô ŉīĊĊ áĴÿ…"

Her brows tightened with confusion as he spoke her name again, still uttering the unknown tongue to her, urgency shone in his eyes and it was clear that he conveying to her a very important message. His voice grew weaker but she still couldn't comprehend anything he was saying.

"Đēö ïČă Ǻŀŀ Ōŋũţ Łī Ĝŕŕęŧŧǎńïë Ãήǐωǻςį… ďïťħēѓ ĴŎ Ťơưįį Żīĩ…."

"Grandfather, what do you mean? Tell me what you are saying!" she begged. But it seemed as if Baltook had not heard her,

"Ďėŏ ŏū Ǎžǽŷś Šýù Ĵİį Ãήǐωǻςį Ęß Û ĭóĥģ äęķѓї…"

Arianna didn't know what to do, she strained to understand him but she couldn't. The words pouring from his mouth were nowhere near to the Northern dialects he had taught her long ago. The language he spoke seemed so unreal, so distant, as if it had originated from a faraway land of mystic and fantasy and yet she felt a strange and distinct familiarity in his words, similar to the inkling you have when you hear a familiar lullaby, you can't distinguish the words but you remember the melody.

Her voice filled with emotion and her hands trembling as she cradled the old man's head, the swaddled box laid at her feet, she declared desperately,

"Grandfather! Speak plainly! Please! I must hear what you are trying to say! Say no more in this strange tongue! Grandfather! I can't understand you! Please…. Grandfather, speak to me!"

"Arianna… my granddaughter…"

The girl nearly collapsed with relief, "Yes! Yes! It is I, Arianna!"

He droned softly in the Northern tongue,

"I have done all I could in my true king's name. You must go on. For you are the One who will lead us to victory from this accursed darkness."

"No, grandfather, speak plainer, still I cannot grasp what you wish of me!" she entreated earnestly.

Unpredictably, the old man smiled kindly and he raised a grazed knuckle to brush down her stained cheek, "Forgive me, my child, I have done you a great wrong."

Arianna covered her grandfather's hand with her left one as she shook her head, "No, what do you mean? You have done nothing wrong to me grandfather. You are the most loving, gentle and compassionate man I've ever known. How could you do me wrong?"

"I only wish I had been more sentient to have confided in you sooner but I see that for the very first and last time, my rational thinking had been controlled by my passionate emotions thus resulting to what you see before you now. But, the gods willing, my true king would forgive his loyal servant knowing all that has been done was done in the will of love and honor."

"Grandfather, you are speaking in foolish riddles." Arianna spoke shakily, trying to lighten the situation, "Come, we must seek aid from someone nearby. You have very deep and grave wounds grandfather, and they must be attended to—"

"Stay awhile and heed my words for it will be the last you will ever hear from me."

Arianna paused, hardly believing what he was saying, "No, grandfather. Think not of that! You are not going to die! Not while I am here! You will live, grandfather, believe it! I do! So you must as well!"

He shook his head faintly, "My spirit is slowly slipping from my grasp and I do not have much time, so listen to me Arianna."

Arianna glanced down at his aged face, the face she had loved unconditionally through her entire life, the face that laughed and smiled with her, that scolded and taught her, that raised and loved her, was now badly bruised and slightly scarred, she saw the pain he endured and the weakening of his hold on her hand so she remained silent, longing to break down and cry but the tears had simply stopped flowing a while ago, she had none left in her to shed.

"How I have longed to accept you as my own, but, my dear child, it was not meant to be. I have dreaded this moment since I've taken you under my wing and now it has finally come and I must leave with no more than a few words."

He heaved a painful gasp and grimaced in agony as he struggled to continue, Arianna was plunging deeper into her confusion, everything was happening so fast…

"Grandfather, how can you say that? I am your own!"

"No…" he whispered roughly and then in a softer tone he spoke as he gazed into her anxious light brown eyes, "Ahh, my child, you have grown to be so much like your mother and your father's spirit radiates in you like the blazing sun. Remember, how I've always said you were a very special child Arianna, and indeed you are."

Arianna's lip trembled and her eyes started to water.

"So young, so little you know, and so much you have yet to learn and understand about your past and who you are—"

His breath cut short as he took another heavy and difficult gulp of air.

"Arianna, my time is come."

"No…"

But Arianna's tears that she thought had ceased to flow, was trailing down her cheek. Her grandfather was gripping tightly unto her hand and she stuttered passionately, "Don't leave me like this Grandfather. I have to understand! Only you can help me understand!"

"In time, you will…" he gasped and he closed his eyes for a moment that Arianna believed him to have passed on but before long he opened them again and Arianna at once started to believe, his time really had come.

"Arianna…" he started, "Fear not the darkness, my child. May the gods of Kannaham and the light of the Animasi lead and protect you always…my granddaughter. In time, all that you wish to know will be revealed to you. Listen to your heart always… now… Go…" his last word softened to a whisper, his strength fading and his eyelids fluttered as his head swayed unsteadily.

"Grandfather! Grandfather!" Arianna called out to him as his head started to sink down to his breast.

With his last ounce of strength, he muttered a final prayer to the gods and breathed his last word with exigency, his grey eyes widened with fear and the glint of passing death, "GO!"

The weight of Baltook's body lapsed heavily into her arms, his eyes slowly closed and he drew breath no more.

"NO!" Arianna sobbed strongly as she held her grandfather's lifeless body in her arms. Crying out his name, imploring him to open his eyes and to speak to her once more but she knew he could no longer do either. Her own body was half-bathed with blood and she felt her life and energy drain out of her as she continued to weep uncontrollably.

Looking around, she screamed hopelessly, "Help! Somebody! Please help me!"

But there was no one there. No one near to hear her desperate call, or to answer her distress… Who could hear and save her now?

"Please… Help…" she whispered as she bent her head and continued to cry helplessly. She pressed her cracked lips to her grandfather's cold forehead and held him tighter.

_Don't leave me… not now… not like this… please…please…_

Grief, desolation, confusion and sorrow enslaved Arianna and she felt utterly powerless and senseless as she rocked her grandfather's body back and forth on the bloody ground. What could she do? Where would she go?

Baltook's cottage was nearly burned down and a few of the other edifices ablaze were slowly dying out but many were still roaring with unquenchable flames. Its bright fiery light was casting a frightful illumination on the shadow where the young peasant girl knelt. The corpse of her grandfather lay in her arms and an object swaddled in filthy covers rested near her feet.

Arianna gazed up at the blackish red sky, illuminated by the fiery glow of the fire and dulled by the imminent dark clouds approaching.

Her grandfather was gone. She was alone.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"**The Black Knights of Gilbor"**

Arianna knew not how long she stayed holding her grandfather's lifeless body in her arms as she continued to rock back and forth. Her dream had indeed turned into reality and she realized that there was no doubt she was living her nightmare. Her eyes wide and frightened as the reality of what had passed finally took over her entirely. Arianna slowly quieted down and she stopped rocking once her tears were all spent.

As Arianna carefully rested her grandfather's head on the stained ground she looked carefully at her grandfather's wounds. The gashes on his face were thin and most were merely scratches, bruises were everywhere. The long deep ones on the lower portion of his body were more horrendous and gory to perceive and it took every ounce of strength left in Arianna to behold her grandfather's wounds more closely.

Peeling off his ripped shirt, the smell of fresh blood filled her nostrils strongly. Arianna took one brief glance at her grandfather's body before she gave a horrified gasp, quickly put a hand to her mouth, closed her eyes and turned away. She dared not look on him any longer. For sliced deep into his mid section, starting from his neck, passing across his thin chest and ribs, ending straight into the center of his abdomen was a large diamond shaped cut and the blood that oozed from the open gash was putrid and purplish. Arianna blindly covered the gruesome sight as best as she could before turning her gaze back to her grandfather's face and wished that she had asked before he had left her the two questions that was plaguing her mind at that moment,

_What happened to you, grandfather? Who did this?_

Arianna sat transfixed at the sight of her grandfather lying dead on the ground, her head was still spinning madly and her heart was slowly breaking into a million pieces all over again. The suddenness and affliction of the recent events were summoning a number of questions, which lain hidden underneath her frenzied thoughts, to surface. But knowing she was neither in the best place or state to ponder or decipher the meanings to these impeding riddles, she struggled to stand but the weight and aches of both her external and internal wounds caused her strength to falter and she slumped back to her knees on the ground. Pounding her fist on the earth in frustration, she moaned hopelessly,

But just as she was about to get her bearings back together to attempt another try to get back on her feet, the air suddenly turned icy cold and the wind that whisked by was bitter, harsh and stung her open wounds. Arianna sat very still. Her hair stood on ends as an iniquitous cold chill crept into her heart. An ominous aura seeped in all around her and she felt the earth slightly rumble beneath her. The first sounds she could hear were the slow heavy thuds of horses' hooves steadily approaching.

Arianna dared not look behind her as she felt the foreboding presence of unwanted guests drawing closer to her.

The sharp sound of a crow-like cackle jolted her heart like a strike of lightning and she felt the cold chill rushing through her very veins and freezing her blood. They had seen her!

Almost instantly, an unseen force took over Arianna and brutally threw her around, she cried out in agony as her burned back scraped the rough ground as she fell. She opened her eyes and found herself staring into the cold merciless indigo eyes of a lean and shrunken rider. His long black greasy locks were elucidated in the fiery light and a malevolent sneer spread wide across his face revealing sharp yellow teeth. He sat astride a monstrous steed whose coat was as dark and black as the starless sky, its hooves were stained with muck that was damp with the blood trickling from its foamy muzzle and its eyes were a piercing color of purplish red that glinted precariously in the night.

The rider's gaunt face was of a sickening color and he was garbed in black garments and on his dark cape was an insignia of a purple diamond, the real and actual gem hanging below his neck on a thin cord. He cackled again menacingly when Arianna turned to face him.

He mumbled indifferently a few words in a low guttural tone the gray mist that enclosed them seemed to mold and take shape, and Arianna watched in horror as four more riders clad in armor the color of charcoal that seemed to be made of a strong metal or steel. Their steeds were as terrifying and as grotesque as the one ridden by the lean man. Their faces were shielded with the dark visors they wore and she could hear their coarse wraithlike breathing underneath them, indicating that they were indeed no mere mortal knights Fear choked her as she swallowed hard, her heart beating at an incredulous pace, she could hardly believe what she was witnessing as she lay unmoving on the ground.

_The Black Knights of Gilbor!_

Indeed, it seemed to her as if she had fallen into one of the fearsome tales of the South she used to hear from the town's storyteller. The Black Knights of Gilbor, the darkest, strongest, most powerful minions of the dark force that was slowly putrefying the country. Gilbor was the land in the South that they rampaged and corrupted and without hesitation, taken as their own, as a reward from the power they so acquiescently served. The vicious steeds they rode were called the Cotherians, taken from the river Corthin from whence they were created.

Arianna felt her limbs quivering; she could feel the penetration of their gazes burn into her, as she lay rigid on the ground. The lean, emaciated man, who seemed to be their leader, urged his restless steed forward and with a spiteful leer, he garbled in what she could make out, was the little he knew of her language.

"Ye gwirl. Pathetic little cre'tur! Not quite the gwand parson spoken in them lore of old'n. Non' wat the Gar-eat One has told." He laughed cruelly and spat some words of his own tongue before lapsing back to the former, "Ye wilt cum wid uss…the Gar-eat One has d-ire need of 'ee…"

"No." Arianna mumbled, wondering in awe how she could have managed to loosen her thick tongue when she thought her entire body had been stricken with cold fear.

" What ye say?" the man grunted, his vindictive sneer sliding off his face.

"No…No I won't!"

"Ye has none to pra'tect ye now! Thy old parson is de'd! Ye art alone, now aren't ye? Ye foo'ish rat…" he growled back into his own guttural speech. Turning his steed around, he began barking what sounded like orders to his dark companions.

Arianna sensed that the implication of his words were taking on a great effect on his cohorts as their monstrous horses neighed and stomped quite ferociously. She could discern the sadistic threat in his tone and knew that if she had to escape, there would no better moment than now.

Her limbs still lay limp and dull but she urged them to take strength as she scrambled backwards on her hands. At once, it brushed the swaddled box near her grandfather's body as well as her bow, but she knew she had no arrows at hand, she cursed under her breath. But luckily, the lean man hadn't taken notice of it. Clutching both of it subtly, she could feel her energy flowing back into her veins warming the chill that possessed her. Arianna mustered every ounce of potency she had and painfully got up on your feet. Before she had a moment to falter and fall back, she turned around and limped as fast as her fatigue and injuries would take her, the swathed box and her bow carefully pressed to her abdomen as she shambled off.

She knew that against those hot-blooded steeds of her adversaries, she had very little chance of going too far from their sight and it seemed that the gaunt crow-like man comprehended her palpable vulnerability immediately as he made no impulse to pursue her in haste when he saw her escape. Instead, he cawed a malignant laugh and called after her,

"Run whilst ye stilt can! It wud been more fun tuh chase such prey!"

Arianna hobbled forward as fast as she could, ignoring the growing agony in her limbs. As she moved on, she noticed that the fires all around were slowly dying and some were merely glowing rubbish and debris. Then, suddenly she noticed that she seemed to be going around in circles. Every corner she turned exactly similar to the ones she had already passed by. She passed burnt houses wanting to find somewhere, anywhere, she could hide and escape her trailing foes in this bewildering maze. She crouched in low corners and stumbled into tall grass but everywhere she went, she knew she couldn't conceal herself from them. She knew that she was merely a sport of fun, a sort of entertainment to keep them amused before taking her, like a cat lazily toying with a defenseless mouse, and since this was their game, she was playing their rules and she didn't have the power or right to run off anywhere. She felt as if their inhuman sight could pierce through anything and she was running nakedly across plain slopes, easily distinguished from anything she ran into. Whenever she found a small nook or cranny to find some refuge in, the sounds of their horses' footsteps were never far away and the cackling voice of their leader seemed to always follow, taunting her in his gruesome language.

She ducked behind another burnt edifice but that sensation of being openly watched never left and soon enough she heard his voice again,

"Come, lil' rodent! Come owt! Come owt! Ye think ye can still hide from uss? Dost ye?"

Arianna groaned with trepidation, she looked around in sheer panic, where can she go where their penetrating gaze would never find her? Who can she call to aid her in her hopeless condition? What can she do? The red mark on her arm was softly fading and Arianna was drenched in her own sweat and blood. Life was slowing draining out of her and she knew it won't be long before her pursuers will tire of this game of hide-and-seek and will soon complete what they were tasked to do.

All the fires had burned out finally and her world was as dark as it had ever been but then she noticed a strange pinkish glow shining not far from where she was slouched on the ground. A spring of hope sparked in her, it might be villagers who had escaped the village fire., they might still be here and alive!

"We can sees ye…"

That wretched voice that interrupted Arianna's hopeful thoughts boiled her very blood and again she struggled advancing towards the light. The heavy trotting hooves and the ghastly breathing were not far behind her.

She winced as she limped hurriedly away. She was nearly there.

_Please let me make it! Please let them be there!_

Arianna was already imagining the scene. She would step out into the open and see the villagers carrying the pink lanterns that had given the glow. They would notice her as well and then maybe try to aid her or else hide her. Though, she knew they wouldn't have the power or might to subdue her fierce enemies at least she wouldn't have to die alone and maybe Hollin would be with them. She knew that he must be worrying about her.

She was nearing the last burnt house and the pink light grew brighter. She thought she heard the comforting sounds of a familiar voice. She was near the hope of safety and consolation. She was almost there; just a few more steps and she would see them…

Nothing in the world could have prepared her for the sight she was about to behold.

Arianna moved from behind the house with a strained smile to greet her townsfolk but when she came out, the smile obliterated and from her mouth emanated a piercing, bloodcurdling scream.

No word could describe the horrendous scene that erupted before Arianna's fearful brown eyes. There was blood spilt across the vast farmland, coloring the dull fields with a shining bright red and pieces of human limbs were scattered to and fro. The plain reeked with the foul stench of death and blood. But these were not as repugnant as what was hanging above them.

Bodies of the dead hung limp in mid-air surrounded by a bright radiating orb that was the source of the faint pinkish glow. Mortals of all ages, men, women, elders and children were afloat; none were spared from this grisly massacre. Pale white skin were illuminated by the pinkish glow were torn and peeled revealing bloody tissue and bones, some had limbs missing and blood continue to flow freely from their severed body parts. Their contorted faces were slashed and torn skin hung flaccidly on what bones they had left. Greenish fungi drooled from their hanging jaws and already huge white maggots were already crawling about their skin.

Arianna staggered in shock and antipathy focusing on the many faces she recognized and knew.

All dead… All rotting away…

Then as Arianna turned sideward, her eyes fell upon a scrawny lifeless corpse enveloped in a similar pinkish orb and though she didn't want to look, to see anymore, her eyes continue to behold this grotesque image.

It was Hollin.

He was hanging half-nakedly, both his legs were sliced off and his arm was mangled in malformed manner. His bloodshot eyes were open and held a haunting stare that shook Arianna's bones.

_No…._

Arianna's legs finally gave way to the weakness she was feeling and the revolting stench of the air as well as the sickening scenery made her head spin nauseatingly and churned Arianna's stomach, prompting her to retch horribly on the bloody ground.

When she finally felt as if she had nearly emptied her insides, she moved back from her mess, heaving with frantic sobs as she tried to get back on her feet and move away. Holding the covered box and her bow weakly with one hand, she turned around and hobbled back to where she came trying to escape from this vile site.

Just then, a spine chilling sound made her look back. Large black hordes of crows had appeared from the air and were descending upon the suspending carcasses. Arianna watched as they landed on the bodies and began ravenously picking at the putrefying skins, gobbling up maggots and fungi as they did. Cawing viciously as they pursued their sickening feast. Arianna saw that they were indeed the same multitude of black creatures who attacked her in the forest.

Arianna prayed that they would not see her as she tried to make her way out. But she could go no further.

As Arianna turned her attention back on the road, she realized that she had stumbled into a heavy gray mist, and that sneering cackle filled her ears once again. All around her, Dark Knights molded into solid form and she was surrounded.

"Your folk has made a charm'ng feast to me petss…" he whispered menacingly, "Dost ye want to join 'em?"

Arianna's legs trembled so greatly, she couldn't hold her stance much longer and clumsily dropped down to her knees, the box and bow pressed to her bosom as she looked up powerlessly into the malevolent indigo eyes of her assailant.

"Whatss this? No long'r wish to run, lil' mouse? Tired of the game, my foo'ish one?" he taunted with a humorless smile.

Arianna knew there was no hope for her now. All strength and willpower were gone and she already felt as lifeless as the dead. As soundless tears streamed down her face, Arianna pondered at how it all came to end like this, to someone like her, hardly at the prime of her age. Silently, she begged with her eyes to make her death swift and painless. She couldn't suffer like this anymore, she wanted it to be all over and done. She wanted to die so badly, if she had the strength she would take her own life instead but now it was in this cruel man's hands that she must deliver her life to.

"Come wid uss…" he snarled.

"No!" she found herself answering in a strong voice, "I'd rather die than be led off to an unknown place by the likes of you!"

The Dark Knights hissed and spitted viciously under their black metals helmets, their hideous steeds neighing fiercely. The indigo-eyed man lost his wry humor and snarled, "If tis death ye wishes, death ye shall have if ye shalt remain refused!"

An abrupt wave of his hand and Arianna heard the massive fluttering of wings and caws as the black mass of crows immediately abandoned their ghastly banquet and flew to hover threateningly above the lean man's head.

"Come or die!" he growled savagely.

"Do what you must! But know that I will not go!" Arianna declared, her heart set with determination, she may die alone and afraid under the hands of the most abominate creatures known to man, but death to her was a far better penalty than losing her freedom to them. She only wanted to be rid of this forbidding place eternally and if that meant death then so be it.

Arianna closed her eyes and waited for the final blow. She heard her perpetrator muttering some guttural words and the excited caws of the black crows as if another fresh meal was about to be served to them at last. The seconds ticked by, Arianna's heart was racing… she could feel the moment nearly coming to its peak…

But just as she thought her time had finally come. A strange faraway sound seemed to rouse her from her stupor, a sheer call that silenced the raucous caws and sliced through the lethal tension in the night air.

Arianna opened her eyes and saw a glint of bright silver soaring swiftly towards her.

_A silver falcon…_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"**_Hope Dawns"_**

The falcon's piercing screech resonated through the contemptible air as the bird of prey broke through the crowd of crows who cawed in astonishment as they scattered helplessly. Arianna's eyes never left the glinting creature as she watched it fly straight up to the sky and turned back. But her ears could not have disregarded the faraway bellow of a deep sounding horn immediately followed by a strange looming reverberation of a seemingly fast approaching storm. Her eyes widened, someone was coming!

One of the Black Knights growled something incoherent to the lean man as the Cotherians reared and shifted uncontrollably, spattering the blood oozing from their muzzle all over the ground. The gaunt looking knave swung his restless steed around and cursed loudly in his own language.

Arianna flitted her gaze a little to focus far beyond the fields and a small gasp escaped her lips. The ground rumbled with the thunder of about a hundred horses and she made out two dark green banners held high by two riders up front.

At the very head and center of the oncoming legion was a well-built knight clad in dark silver armor, though Arianna could hardly make out his features from the distance though as he neared, she could see his visor was up and the glint from his eyes disclosed his fearless and intense nature. His dark colored beard was short and rough and a few strands of his even darker hair bore a slight shade of white indicating he was recently past his prime. The emblem on his chest armor and on his shield was that of a humongous black bear standing on its hind legs revealing its pearly white underside. Its razor-sharp teeth and long claws were bared as though poised to attack. The powerful animal he rode was a large white stallion bearing articles branded with a similar crest. Clutched in the knight's right hand was a long steel sword with an unadorned hilt and in his left he held his oval shaped shield.

Arianna, mesmerized by the ferocious looking knight, was completely oblivious to what her assailant was hastily performing. She was even more taken aback when her eyes took in the large number of riders coming towards her.

She barely had time to breathe much less to react when suddenly a dark purplish fog suddenly closed in around her, slowly squeezing the air out of her lungs, as the mist grew even denser. She let out a small gasp of surprise as she also felt herself being slightly lifted from the ground.

The roaring battle cries, which were the cause of the storm like sounding resonation, driven by another blast of the deep horn were almost upon the small dismal group. She heard the guttural commands of her assailant somewhere behind the thick purple fog afterward she heard the cawing crows again as they passed right above her head.

Due to the abrupt alteration of her circumstance, Arianna found it strangely difficult to register fear back into her mind as the glowing mist enveloped tightly around her, instead she felt calmly irritated without knowing the reason why. Then, just when her head started to spin from lack of oxygen, a scintillating white light broke through the purple mist and immediately the constricted vapor that held her rapidly dissolved and she fell painfully down to the ground.

The clashing of steel, vicious cawing and ruthless neighing mixed with the voices of men engaged in a fierce battle rang in Arianna's ears. She rolled over on her back, part of her wanting to stay awake to witness this ensuing combat and the other half yearning to drop into oblivion right there and then.

Her half-open eyes were able to catch a glimpse of her surroundings. In the dim light of the half-covered moon, she saw a raging struggle of the most peculiar nature. Dusted silver against smoky black. But it wasn't just any ordinary hand-to-hand warfare, the ambiance of something both mystical and eerie hung heavy in the air. She could hardly believe what she was seeing even after all she had just been subjected to, everything was just occurring too fast for her humble senses to take in. At that moment, Arianna was undergoing a new kind of emotion, disbelief. For just as she looked around the ambiance she had felt was certainly something of the most unordinary of all…

It was magic, real pungent magic, and she was witnessing the veracity and great potency of it with her own eyes.

Arianna was certainly accurate with her perception, because just as she turned her head; she caught sight of a group in combat and she could hardly resist but marveled at how the few number of Dark Knights managed to keep the upper hand in their battle by means of their dark art. They simply vanished into gray mist in the midst of heavy combat against three to five other mortal riders to reappear right behind them slashing their back with one stroke of their long menacing blade. On the other side, she saw their leader charging his pet crows to attack here and there as he blasted away his opponents one by one with a few guttural words and a wave of his hand. A shimmer of purple dust drifted from his palms after every command.

Suddenly from behind him came large bolts of white light that knocked the lean man off his monstrous steed before he had a quick chance to shield himself. Arianna forced her eyes to open wider to see who had cast such a powerful magic form. Riding on a medium built pale yellow stallion was a heavy cloaked old man; his long gray shaggy hair was as dark as his long beard. The silver falcon was hovering right above him. He wore no armor nor bore a shield of any kind yet he attacked with such ferocity and conviction that it seemed he believed his skin was made of dragon scales. Another white ball was slowly forming in his left palm, which was slightly raised above his head as he neared his fallen enemy. But the gaunt man was not to be underestimated; with a quick gesture he shielded himself with a faint purple veil just as the white blob struck it.

Whilst everyone and everything around her were preoccupied in the intensity of their skirmish, Arianna wondered if might be an appropriate moment to make her escape and slip away but it seemed once again the lean man predicted her every move even if he was engaged in straining to keep his shield raised against the old man. Indignantly, he faced his palm in Arianna's direction attempting to entrap her once again in his fog but was abruptly daunted once again, not by the old rider as Arianna would have expected but by the fierce and dominating white knight who swiftly appeared by her side.

His shield, which seemed to have been bewitched to repel magic figures, deterred the spell of his indigo-eyed foe as he moved his steed before Arianna in a defensive and arrogant manner. The trifling action seemed to emit an unseen signal to the beings in battle to halt. Then, in a mere second later, the Dark Knights and crows reappeared behind their leader and the Black riders raised their bloody sabers in a threatening action but the lean man motioned them briskly to lower their weapons.

The white knight glared at them with gravity through his dark copper eyes; his sword also poised to strike.

Silence rested a moment in the apprehensive air as both sides stood opposite to each other.

Then, the knight spoke in a deep menacing voice that sent shivers down Arianna's spine. They were speaking in yet, another unfamiliar foreign language. The gaunt man pointed and spat uncouthly in her direction while the knight replied to his every statement with such stable calmness that Arianna was starting to grow anxious as to which side this knight was really on.

She felt the knight turn his gaze on her for a fleeting moment before looking back at the lean man and stating something in an exceptionally sadistic tone. The gaunt man eyes flashed heatedly and he bared his yellowish teeth at the knight's remark. Without warning, he made a gesture and the crows cawed excitedly rushing forward towards the white knight but then the old magician, once again anticipating accurately the unexpected moment waved his arm in one fluid movement and the crows instantly froze in their positions high on the air.

The lean man snarled and cursed in his guttural tongue and it seemed that he was sensing that although he and his minions were prominently powerful magically but it was nearly dawn, and time was running out. The lean man reared his steed and spun it around, fleeing from his opponents. He barked a command and the Black Knights followed suit before they and their monstrous Cotherians dissolved into thin gray mist as they retreated.

The white knight bellowed a victorious command and his men raced after their fleeing enemies. Arianna watched as one by one the Black Knights of Gilbor faded into their dim fog and then the gaunt looking man with malicious indigo eyes stopped at a distance and turned his steed to face her. His eyes met hers and it seemed he was sending a mental message to her that she understood.

_Shall our paths cross again, princess, thou shall not be as lucky as thou art now!_

He then garbled something unintelligible and the crows sprang back to motion but instead of defending their master from the approaching attackers, the crows instead flew directly to him, surrounding and covering him underneath their oily black feathers till neither the monstrous steed nor the rider himself was visible. A pale and sickly purplish glow seemed to emerge from beneath the black wings.

Arianna heard the knight's deep commanding voice somewhere sounding urgent.

Once the soldiers reached the crowd of crows, the cawing flock hastily dispersed and flew far out of reach but once they had all gone, there was no sign or trace of the gaunt man or his black Cotherian as if they vanished along with the crows.

Arianna's head was whirling and her vision blurred slightly once she witnessed the disappearance of the indigo-eyed man and his Dark Knights. She vaguely pulled herself to her feet and started to stagger away. Her pains had grown numb and she felt as if she was floating above the ground instead of walking on it. Her mind was blank and empty, to weary to think or wonder. The unopened box and her long bow still cradled in her arms, she hadn't loosed her hold on them ever since.

Then, after struggling a few steps and nearly losing consciousness, she suddenly felt a strong arm grasp speedily around her midsection scooping her effortlessly from the ground and unto a racing steed. Her head bounced and lolled as she was set firmly atop a white stallion's fair back. She felt the brush of cold metal steel on her back; the arm that held her was still around her, grasping her in a protective manner.

Arianna lifted her head slightly; the dark sky was slowly turning pale with the first signs of dawn approaching. The wind that brushed her skin was cold and brisk and yet slightly soothing. The excruciating sores, wounds and blisters burned her skin once again and Arianna knew she could no longer keep awake. The red star on her arm stayed imprinted on her skin.

She thought she heard a soft deep voice muttering comforting words in her ear but she took no heed of it.

Arianna saw the velvet horizon turning to a hue of pale blue before she, at long last, surrendered entirely to the aching fatigue that plagued her mind, body and spirit.

Fading into the black pit of oblivion where she heard, saw, and remembered nothing more…

_Ďėŏ ŏū ģō_


End file.
